The Celebrity and the Pizza Delivery Boy
by Victoria Chrystallis
Summary: Two completely different worlds. One desire for liberation and change. A betrayal and her dreams cause them to come together. One great love.
1. Two Worlds

**The Celebrity and the Pizza Delivery Boy**

"_TIFA!"_

"_AHH! TIFA!" _

"_I LOVE YOU TIFA!"_

Her limousine passed the screaming fans without stopping, Tifa looked out at them, she wanted to wave at them so badly but the windows were tinted pitch black, so even if she waved, they would not see it. She sighed, she looked at her hands, the diamond bracelet she'd been given by her rock star boyfriend, Genesis Rhapsodos, sparkled beautifully. Her manager, Rufus and head stylist Lazard were discussing something. She could have cared less about what it was…

"Tifa, stop that," Lazard said sternly, looking at how she removed and replaced her feet from her six-inch high red stilettos, Tifa stopped obediently, like a little child being scolded.

"After this interview, you'll have your shampoo commercial shoot with Sephiroth, then we'll have lunch and the whole afternoon is yours to waste." Rufus told her, Tifa nodded.

Ugh.

She hates having lunch with Rufus and Lazard. It stretches for four hours most of the time…

The limousine stopped at the back entrance of the TV station, her bodyguard/driver opened the door and the two men got out before her, and the long-legged, raven haired beauty emerged from the limo wearing a skin-tight black dress that was paired with a sleek red belt, her make-up was barely there and her only accessory was the bracelet.

Lazard looked at her and said, "Dear, are you sure you don't want to wear earrings?"

"No I don't want those hideous earrings."

Lazard sighed, "You've been in the business for fifteen years and you still look boring! Oh my goddess!"

Tifa shot him a little glare and said, "Those earrings are not my type! You've been my stylist for fifteen years and you still don't know my style preference!"

"Now, now, lower your voice dear," Rufus hissed, "the walls have ears."

Tifa wanted to roll her eyes so bad but didn't, instead, she went in the building, stomping her sky high heels to make her point: do not mess with me.

The two blonde men shrugged and followed after the star, Rufus gritting his perfect teeth in the process.

"One of these days…!"

"Yo, Cloud! Stop sitting around! The phone's blowing up from customer calls already, why don't you make yourself useful and answer them?"

Cloud looked away from the TV and said, "Couldn't Zack do that? He's _sleeping_, for goddess' sake."

"OI! ZACK! WAKE UP!" their boss yelled, making Cloud's bestfriend jump from his sitting position. "Yow!" Zack cried, rubbing his behind as he stood up, "What do you need?"

"Answer those phone calls! If we lose any customers, it's coming out on _both_ your paychecks!"

Zack ran to the phone, "Ah, hello? Dominnik's Pizza, may I take your order?...Okay, thank you. Your order will arrive soon!" He did it about twenty times before getting the chance to hand the pad to Cloud.

"Zack, what the heck is this? I don't understand anything here except for the numbers and addresses." Cloud whined, "Sorry! I was hurrying; I'll just rewrite it, one minute!" he grabbed the pad from the blonde's hands and rewrote the orders again. Cloud looked back at the TV…

"And now, let's welcome the star of the block buster hit movie Immortal, Tifa Lockhart!" the host from the show announced and her fans screamed and clapped, Tifa put on her trademark smile and walked onstage like a model.

They exchanged pleasantries…the customary 'Hi! Wow! You look wonderful, blah blah blah!' 'Oh you! Thank you!' Tifa's already used to this, but she really hated how fake these people were.

"So, tell us, Tifa, how did it feel working with Reno and Cissnei?"

_Reno's a pervert, he's not funny at all, and oh my god, you wouldn't believe how many times we had to re-shoot his scenes because he always forgets his lines and Cissnei? Goddess, that little prima donna! _ "It was great! They were so fun to be with, I didn't feel like strangers with them—I felt very close to them on and off cam, gosh, I really had a great time working with them."

"So… Tifa, you've been dating Genesis for almost three years now, have you two decided to settle down finally?"

_I wish, if only he'd stop being so obsessed with his damned poetry book! I've heard about a hundred thousand times and he still reads it to me over and over again! AHHH! _"No, we haven't talked about that yet, we're taking it slow, you know? When the time comes, it's time for us to tie the knot. Who knows?"

"Tell us about your new clothing line! We're all dying to hear when you're launching it."

_It's not mine. It's my freaking money loving manager's, using my name to make more money. The glutton! Maybe I'll launch it when the world ends. I can't even draw decently… design? Please! _"Ah, my new line! I am so excited to tell you that my new line, Hana, will launching next month. The inspiration for this new line is uh," _what did the designer tell me again? _

"Well, the inspiration of my line is…is…the old Japanese era, a hundred years ago, it really fascinates me," Tifa said, and with a smile, she added, "Please support my new venture."

"Last question, Tifa…" the TV screen went blank, Cloud rolled his eyes and said, "God, she's so lucky it's already annoying!" Zack looked up from the receipts of the pizza boxes, "Admit it, you have a crush on Lockhart."

"I would never even dream of having a crush on that girl!"

"Yeah, whatever."

Tifa stormed to her dressing room and said, "What the hell was that, Rufus?" she swore she could just cut off all of her manager's hair in her mind, "They didn't even ask about the movie! They just asked how it was working with those two brats!"

"Well, they already what the movie is about, so they'd rather ask you something that would really spike up their show's ratings," Rufus said, "Well, we have to go, you still have to shoot that commercial."

[LATER]

"And cut! Good job miss Lockhart, Sephiroth!" the director said, "That was a great scene! Okay, you may go now, thank you very much for your hard work."

_Hard work? _

Tifa walked slowly back to her dressing room, still dizzy from all the bright lights in the set, when Sephiroth walked over to her and said, "Hey, Tif, wanna have lunch with me?" Tifa smiled and said, "Hi. Uh sorry, I have plans this afternoon, maybe next time."

"Okay, that's cool. Well, see you around."

"Yeah," Tifa agreed…

"Phew, that's the last of that batch!" Cloud sighed as he started his motorbike again, his cellphone started to ring again, "Hey, what's up?" he asked Zack, "I'm on the way back, hold your horses, jeez."

"Hey guys, can I skip lunch with you two this time?" Tifa asked, as Lazard brushed her hair. "That's fine." Rufus said, Tifa smiled to herself and got up, waving Lazard away. "Okay, great!" I wanna go to Gene's place, so ta-ta!

Tifa was now wearing a plain shirt, jeans and well worn sneakers, her prefect hair tied in a messy ponytail, her car was right outside of her boyfriend's house, she breathed lightly and turned the engine off.

She rang the doorbell once and the door opened at once by Genesis, in all his no-shirt glory.

"Hi love." he said, flashing her a dashing smile, "come in…uh, why're you here?"

Oh… why?

"I wanted to see you. I haven't seen you in what? Two weeks! I missed you!"

Genesis smiled and said, "Well, I missed you too! Hey, have you eaten lunch?"

"No, how about you?" Tifa answered, smiling.

"Let's just order pizza then." Genesis said, "I know this great shop that makes the best pepperoni pizza."

Mmm! Pepperoni…

He took out his phone and started dialing, Tifa sat down in the leather couch, after placing his order, "I was watching your interview earlier." He finally said.

"Oh?"

"Yeah," he trapped her in his arms, "and I couldn't forget the question he asked you about us." He was kissing her neck now, Tifa blushed, where was this going?

"Do you want to marry me?" he asked, playing with her hair.

Yeah, hell yes!... Tifa smiled and said, "Yes,"

Genesis kissed her lips long before speaking.

"But honey, I will be away from you for half a year, I'm touring the world," Genesis said with a pout, "it would just have to wait."

Tifa's heart sank, so much for the proposal.

"Yo, Cloud! Pepporoni pizza to sector 5!" Zack yelled.

"That upper class place? Cool!"

**What do you think is going to happen in the next chapter? **

**Hi, this is Tervas19 again. How'd you like my third FF fic? Please tell me what you think by REVIEWING!**


	2. You wouldn't believe!

**Chapter Two: "You Wouldn't Believe…!"**

Cloud turned off the engine of his motorcycle, and headed to the house address that was in the receipt. He gave out a whistle, this place was extremely beautiful—the driveways were made of antique dark brown terracotta tiles, the grass there was so green, the palm trees were very high up, the houses there were h-u-g-e. "0604….no, this is 02… ahh, there it is!" Cloud made a few long strides on the 3rd house's garden and somebody suddenly yelled—"Hey! Get off the grass!" Surprised, Cloud almost fell face-first, "Sorry!" and he ran back to the pathway.

"Whoa." was all that he could say, the house was like, his dream home. _I wonder who owns this place? Hmm… I should befriend this dude and ask him to let me crash in sometime. Hahahaha…. _He pressed the door bell and the door opened instantly.

_Yay! The pizza's here! _Tifa thought happily as she rushed to open the door, Genesis was right behind her, "Hi!" Tifa chirped.

_OMFG. _Cloud thought, _this is not true, right? Tifa Lockhart and Genesis Rhapsodos _actually eat_ pizza? _

"Uh, that'll be twenty gil, sir…" Cloud said, knees slightly trembling, _Oh Zack, you poor soul, you just had to pass this up, did you? You love me this much! I'm soo turning your black hair green with envy later!_

"Okay here you go, keep the change, kiddo," Genesis said with a wink.

_Genesis, that's not going work on BOYS! This kid's not a homosexual, I think. _Tifa thought as she smiled at the delivery boy, "Uhh…sir," Cloud mumbled, totally abashed, "What is it? Did the price suddenly go up?" Cloud had the urge to scratch the back of his head but fought against the idea, "No, sir…uh, you, you see, I'm a real big fan of yours."

"Oh! That's great!" Genesis said, _Oh dear… should I make arrangements to move out now? _

"Uhh… may I ask for an autograph?"

"Oh that's all? Of course!" Genesis flashed him another marvelous grin and with a blink of an eye, he had a marker in his hand. "So where do you want it?"

_OMFG, where? Where? In my… what, my shirt? Yeah the shirt's a good spot to have his signature on, sure!_

"In the back of my shirt sir…" Cloud almost blushed like a girl asking another man to sign on his back.

Genesis smiled, and signed the back of the delivery boy's uniform, feeling sorry for him later because his boss was bound to yell at him the moment he sees the signature. But oh, for the love of Loveless, who cares? He surely doesn't because the blond little boy asked for it.

"There you go, uhh…. _Cloud.?" What kind of Mother names her kid CLOUD? Okay, the shirt's not a big deal, he can get a new one, but to live his whole life with _that_ name…is just sad. Really, _Genesis thought.

Cloud only smiled and said, "Thank you!" Genesis only smiled back with a little nod, "Well, enjoy your pizza sir, ma'am." Cloud tipped his cap a little and began walking back to his motorcycle.

[LATER]

"Hey Zack, dude! What are you doing?" Cloud asked as he placed his helmet on top of the counter, Zack had a pizza slice in his mouth, his eyes were half closed and he was sitting cross-legged infront of the TV again… Zack tried to say hi to his bestfriend but ended up just nodding, his mouth too full of gooey pizza cheese.

"You wouldn't believe who our last customer was!" Cloud said with a grin.

Zack swallowed the pizza and asked, "Who? My obsessed lover or something?"

"You have an obsessed lover?" Cloud asked, "You sure it wasn't your Mom?"

Zack laughed and said, "I was just kidding, chocobo dude. So who was the customer?"

"Genesis Rhapsodos."

"G-Genesis!" Zack almost spilled the soda he had in his hand, "You're just playing with me! That guy doesn't look like he eats pizza or anything with high-what was it again, oh yeah- calories."

"No, I'm not, look!" he showed his shirt with Genesis's signature, "The lucky Tifa was with him too."

"WHOA. YOU AREN'T KIDDING!" Zack screamed, "You lucky~!" He tackled his friend to the floor, "Hey, hey! Careful with the shirt! I don't plan on washing it ever again!" Cloud yelled through laughs. "Yeah whatever! Ahh! I am not going to pass up anymore deliveries starting now!" "That's great!" Cloud said, "you're not being paid by uncle to sit around and annoy him." "Whatever."

"So… those celebrities do eat!" Zack thought aloud after taking the call, "that's good. At least now I can forget about my theory that they're robots." They laughed.

[A FEW DAYS LATER]

Tifa was standing in the airport, with her bodyguard only ten feet away, and in front of Genesis, who was about to start his world wide tour…

Genesis was wearing a skin tight pair of leather jeans, a fit red shirt and a black jacket, he was wearing dark rimmed glasses and a spiked cuff. He kissed his girlfriend's lips one last time before saying, "Take care of yourself while I'm gone, love. Call me."

Tifa nodded and hugged him tightly, "I'm going to miss you a lot, honey, _six months_! Do you think I can live without you that long?"

Genesis smirked and said, "You have done two months while you were filming, sweet heart."

"Yeah but… Genesis, we'll have time zone differences when you go on tour."

"You're acting as if I'm going to war or something. Tifa, I'm just going to do a concert series for the women that can only dream of having me, don't worry… when I get back from the tour, everything'll go easier. We can even…finally plan things." Genesis smiled and kissed her forehead, "I have to go, love."

"Okay. Have a fun time." _And throw out the book already! Give it to a fan or something!_

Genesis gave her his matinee idol smile and walked off…

When Genesis was out of her sight, she made her way back to her car, _I need comfort food, what was that pizza place's name again? I could use a lot of pepperoni pizza right now…_

**Author's Note: There you go, my loves, the second chapter of the story. I hope you liked it enough to make you REVIEW. KEKEKE~ So, what's up with you, lovely reader? I hope you're still happy with the story and not **_yawning_** at it haha.. As I am writing this, I am recovering from a bad sickness… this chapter could've been posted earlier if I didn't get sick. O.O **

**U.U**

**PLEASE REVIEW! THANKS! :****


	3. My Hero!

**Chapter Three: My Hero!**

Tifa was at home at the moment, waiting for the pizza delivery-2 boxes of pepperoni pizza, oh joy! No evil manager and stylist to scream about it. Tifa squealed in glee, in her size two shirt, pajamas and the DVD of _Vampire Diaries, _and the two boxes of pizza that was on its way, she was in relaxation heaven. But there was nobody to share the fun with. Genesis was not with her.

She'd turned off and hid away her cell phone the moment she got home. She looked at her diamond encrusted watch, _I wonder what's taking the pizza so long? _ She squared her shoulders and sighed.

"Hey, Zack you taking this order or should I?" Cloud asked.

Zack massaged his shoulders and said, "You go. My shoulders and my arms are telling me to rest today. Ugh!"

_Of course your muscles would hurt, you moron, you wouldn't let me do anything since the Genesis incident, now that you've learned that he's out of the country, you suddenly fall back to the old you…you are so…childish! _Cloud thought with a smile, "Okay," Cloud gathered his helmet and the pizza and started the motorcycle.

Tifa was playing with her hair, twisting it with a pencil, but it annoyed her that her hair kept slipping away from the pencil. Her hair was too smooth to hold on the pencil. Tifa frowned and started braiding her hair instead.

_I wonder if I'll ever get engaged with Genesis, he's been telling to me that it was soon. It's been over a year since we both thought about it, but so far, he seems to be happy where we are right now… but somehow, I am not. I want to get married to him. I want to have kids already. I want to get out of this sick world that they call show business. _

_Does he really love me?_

Tifa smiled, _Of course he loves me. Why else would he be by my side all this time if he didn't?_

The doorbell rang and Tifa pushed the thoughts in the back of her mind and walked over to the door. "Finally!" she said with a playful smile but it suddenly lopsided. It was not the pizza boy.

"You've been waiting for me too, Tifa, my love?" her unexpected visitor said to her, giving her a toothy grin, "Aww, well, isn't that sweet! Give me a hug, babe!" He wrapped an arm around her waist, "UGH! LET GO OF ME!" Tifa cried, pushing him away, "GO AWAY CID! HOW DARE YOU COME HERE IN MY HOME!"

Cid Highwind is the country's biggest action star that has a long list of records-DUI, causing fights in bars, doing drugs, etc. Name it, he's done it. And he seems to think that Tifa is totally in love with him, but she wouldn't tell because she was too shy. _The hell with that_, Tifa thought when she'd heard the news.

"AW SWEETIE! Don't tell me that, you're breaking my heart!" Cid said with a mock sad face, "Come on, I know that you also want it."

Tifa gave him a lustful look and said, "Oh yeah, I do. I want you."

"See?" Cid said with proudness in his voice, he walked closer to her and Tifa opened her mouth, "I want you to get the hell out of my place and never come back!" and kicked his little boy without restraint.

Cloud's motorbike's engine died and he got off, and before him was Cid Highwind, rolling on the floor in pain, and Tifa Lockhart standing haughtily before him. _Okay, what did I miss here? _Cloud thought as he unzipped the bag and got the boxes of pizza, "Ah!" Tifa cried.

Cid was on his feet once again and he had pinned her on the wall, "You little bitch, you think that a little kick's going to keep me down for long?" he growled…

"HEY! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?"

Cid looked at the thin blond delivery boy and smirked, "What's it you? Leave the boxes and go away. Mind your own business, boy!"

Tifa gave Cloud a grave and scared look and Cloud dropped the boxes at once, "You stupid muscle brain, men don't do things like this to women!" and he shoved Cid away from Tifa…

"Why you!" Cid roared and he charged towards Cloud, Tifa ran back inside her house and called the security, something she should have done ten minutes ago… "Hello, security? This is Tifa, I need you in my place ASAP. I've got a trespasser!"

Cloud's lip was bleeding and he was on the ground the moment the security guards arrived, "Who is the trespasser, miss?" "Him! Get him out of here!" Tifa said, pointing her finger at Cid. The guards put a hand cuff on Cid and they were off, "How dare you, Lockhart, I'll sue you!"

"Ha! I'd love to see you try! I've stronger grounds to sue you with! And I have a witness!" Tifa yelled back at him, she knelt before Cloud and said, "Oh my god, are you okay? Oh my, your lip's bleeding!"

Cloud sat up and wiped the blood away with the back of his hand, "Don't worry about me miss, I won't die, this is nothing serious… oh… your pizza…" he turned his head to see that the boxes were already squashed. "OH FU-!"

Tifa giggled and said, "Don't worry, I'm still paying. You did save me, after all. Hey, let me…fix that. It's the least I could do." She helped him get up and she led him to her living room.

"I'll just get my first aid kit, okay? Make yourself at home," Tifa smiled as she walked to the bathroom.

Cloud let out an impressed whistle, her place was great. Not flashy. It was cool. Her TV was not very big, unlike the TVs that other celebs have, her living room was homey. She had vases of pink flowers in the corner, magazines were neatly arranged in the corner, her couch was comfy and she had a lot of DVDs piled out on the floor.

_Oh, she was planning to have a DVD marathon, huh? _

"I'm back, now, let's have a look on that lip," she said with a smile.

"H-hey, you know what you're doing, right?" Cloud asked as she touched his lip with a cotton ball soaked in alcohol. "Mmm….yeah, Genesis got into a fight before and I treated his lips." "Okay…"

Silence.

"Ow."

"Hold still!"

"But it hurts."

"It won't if you stop talking."

Silence.

"There…uh, I hope you are okay if I use pink bandage. It's the only one that I have…"

"Um, sure."

Tifa smiled and said, "Hey, since you did damage my pizzas, why don't you just stay over and watch movies with me?"

"What? I can't do that, miss! I need to get back to work or I'll get fired."

"Aw, okay then." Tifa scrambled to get her wallet and pulled out a few bills without counting them, she handed the bills to Cloud. "Keep the change."

Cloud nodded and muttered a 'thank you… sorry about your pizza.'

Tifa smiled and watched him go.

Cloud got on his motorbike and counted the bills. "5-500 gil? This is too much!" he got off and marched right back to Tifa's place, "Miss, I can't accept this. This is too much."

"Don't fuss over it. It's fine, you really deserve the money. Oh, by the way, you're Cloud right? You're the guy that delivered for us last time…"

"Yeah."

"Well, nice seeing you again, Cloud."

Cloud smiled.

Tifa closed her door again.

"DUDE, WHY ARE YOU ALWAYS THE LUCKY ONE?" Zack groaned when Cloud told him all about it when he got back, "SERIOUSLY, WHAT DO YOU DO? WHY DO YOU KEEP GETTING THE CELEBS AND I GET THE KIDS' PARTIES? HUH!"

Cloud only laughed.

**There you go, loves! :D The third chapter… hehe, if you like Cid Highwind, you are free to throw tomatoes at me. But really, the role somehow fits him. LOL. Cid's cool. Cloud's just cooler!**

**Thank you to all the people who reviewed last time, I love you all and I hope that you guys don't forget to review this chapter as well. ;)**

**Please REVIEW, thank you. The update'll come faster that way. **


	4. To That Old Park

**Chapter Four: To That Old Park**

* * *

Genesis and Tifa were all alone his house again, it was the night before the start of his LOVELESS II FINAL Tour—and they were very busy snogging to even care about the time. Genesis broke the kiss, drawing in deep breaths, his face flushed, "Come," he said. Tifa's sparkly red dress lay strewn on the bedroom floor the next moment…

"Tif, why don't you just come with me? We could get married secretly somewhere, without the public knowing so quickly—what do you think?" Genesis said as they lay beside each other in the bed. He propped his right hand to support his head as he looked lazily at Tifa, who was staring back at him. "That's a great idea, Gen, but I have a very schedule like you too," she screwed up her face to emphasize how annoyed she was, "Then sneak out, like you know, act like you're sick for a few days, use my private jet!"

Tifa giggled and said, "Gen, you really don't think that's possible, right?"

"I really do think it is possible," Genesis said, laying back down, "I mean, with all the money we have in our banks, we may as well quit working for the rest of our lives," Tifa smiled—what a life that would be! She and Genesis would be free from cannibalistic paparazzi and rumors, they would be together, undisturbed…. Tifa looked at Genesis, but he wasn't the type of guy that would stop doing what he loved so quickly, he was only saying those words to ease the pain he was causing because of his approaching six-month absence.

"Are you really sure you want to, leave the fame and glory, Gen?" she asked, "because I'd leave anytime." She looked at Genesis, whose face was unreadable. "Gen?"

"You'd leave all this, for what?" Genesis suddenly asked.

"I'd leave it all for you, of course!" she replied with a little shy smile. Genesis smiled a little, "That's really sweet, but are you just going to leave all this for me or…?" he sighed and planted a kiss on her forehead and brushed away stray strands of her hair, "and that's because I love you so much." He embraced her and fell asleep instantly—but Tifa lay awake, staring out into the dark starry sky. She couldn't help but think about what he had just asked her. What would she leave the fame and glory for, aside from him?

_Let's leave this noisy, cruel world, Genesis, we'd be a lot happier, _she thought as she closed her eyes as well.

The next day, Tifa woke up alone.

There was a note in the bedside table, from Genesis.

_When you wake up, I'll be in a plane. I didn't want to wake you up anymore… you look so beautiful when you're asleep. I'll call you when I land, okay? I love you._

_Genesis_

Tifa read the letter for a second time before she got out of bed, she gathered her scattered clothes and took a shower before leaving. She sat there in her car for a few minutes, thinking about where she would go since she had no work that day…

With a sigh, she started the car, with no destination at all, no plan.

It was a windy and sunny that day, so Tifa decided to roll down her window to let the air in. The air felt extremely wonderful against her skin, she sped up at the empty road. "Maybe I'll go to that old park nobody visits." she mumbled as she turned into a blind curve.

* * *

Cloud sat down in one of the tables, chewing the tip of a toothpick, apparently, today was a slow day for bussiness. "Hey, Zack!" he yelled, "Come over here, look at that car!" he pointed at the silver convertible parking just across the street and beside the unkempt park.

Zack came bustling in, sending flour all over the room, "Whoa!" Zack exclaimed, "that's one sweet car! Wonder who owns-?" but his question had been answered as Tifa got out of the car, looking quite satisfied with herself. "IT'S TIFA LOCKHART, CLOUD!"

Cloud didn't need to be told, he was staring at the perfection that was called Tifa.

Tifa looked around, the sun was high and hot now, it had taken her twenty minutes to drive here, and the park was still as sad and unkempt as it had been when she was young. The grass was not maintained, it was quite long and the swings, slides, monkey bars and seesaws were shabbily painted red and yellow and showed rust, the trees had grown higher and the picnic ground was no longer full—it was really abandoned.

Her smiled disappeared a little—she used to go to this park with her Mother, who had already passed away due to cancer. She still remembered that last day they were here, it was sunny and windy, her mother was already in chemo that time, and she was just five years ago. Elena Lockhart died two months after.

She heard a door open and a bell ring, she turned and saw her saviour, "Oh! It's you!" she said with a gasp, she looked at the raven haired lad following Cloud, "and this must be your friend," she smiled at Zack.

"Uh yeah, hi again," Cloud said with a shy grin.

Tifa looked at the tiny shop, "So this is where you work?"

"Yeah," Cloud said with a sheepish grin, "it's…"

"Neat, I….I haven't been back here since I was six," Tifa said with small smile, "I used to live here, when I was small, then we moved to Nibelhiem, when Mother died."

"Your…mom died?" Cloud said, "I'm sorry to hear that…"

"Don't be, she's better off that way anyway," Tifa said, "if she lived longer, she would have felt more pain. The chemo was not helping her get better, she got worse after every session. Well, hey, let's talk about something else!"

"We could show you around, if you want," Zack suggested, "but it's not really Costa del Sol."

Tifa smiled and said, "Why not! I'd love to!"

Cloud looked at Zack and muttered, "Sneaky fox, you're supposed to be peeling onions for the pizzas!" Zack grinned and said, "Let it slide, Cloud, the boss isn't here anyway!" Cloud face palmed for a second and smiled at Tifa, "Shall we?"

"Sure!" Tifa answered enthustiastically.

The sun was setting when Tifa and the two gentlemen came back around infront of the shop, laughing. "Hey, Tifa, let's grab a bite! It's on me!" Cloud said with a smile, "Sure!" Tifa said, returning his smile. Zack looked like Christmas had come really early for him.

"So what will you have?"

"Ah," Tifa said, "whatever you feel like treating me to," she smiled at him.

Cloud's face flushed for a moment, "Um, p-peporoni?"

"Okay!"

The three new friends chatted into the late hours of the night, enjoying each other's company when Tifa's phone rang. It was Genesis.

"Hello!"

"Hi love," Genesis said, "I missed you!"

"I miss you too, how was your flight?"

"Ah, it was okay, as always, it was the departure and arrival that was chaotic. So far, my arrival here has caused seven broken bones."

"Oh my."

"I know, it's awful," Genesis said, "have you eaten?"

"Um yes, I'm eating with a couple of friends," she said, "how about you?"

"About to, what are you eating?"

"Pizza." Tifa said before giggling.

"You seem to be having pizza an awful lot now," he said, "you could gain weight, you know."

"So? I'll eat what I want, Gen," she said.

"Alright don't turn into dragon lady on me now, Tif," Genesis said, "Oh, I need to go now, I'll call you later, okay?"

"Okay."

Tifa snapped her phone shut and she smiled at her two companions, "Sorry about that," she said as she sat back down.

"Was that Genesis?" Zack asked, looking up from his pizza slice.

"Yup," Tifa answered, she glanced at her wrist watch, "Oh my, I need to go now, it's almost midnight." She frowned, why did time have to run so fast when she was having a good time? Cloud smiled and said, "Oh, okay then, shall I escort you out?" Tifa nodded.

"Good night, Zack, I enjoyed my time with you," Tifa told Zack, "I hope we meet again soon!" she smiled and together with Cloud, exited the shop. "Yeah me too!" she heard Zack call after her. She turned to face Cloud once they reached her car, "I enjoyed my time with both of you," she said, "your friend is really funny. Thanks for the pizza again," she smiled. "No problem, you're welcome—er, I'll see you…" Cloud stuttured. Tifa smiled and she kissed his cheek, "Good night Cloud." She got into her car and started the car.

"Good night."

"I'll come back soon!" Tifa called after him as she began to drive away.

"Yeah, okay." Cloud said, "take care."


	5. Mystery Man

**Chapter Five:**

Mystery Man

* * *

She took her seat in front of the dresser, and she stared at her bare face. This is her, the real her… without the layers of make-up caked up in her face to "enhance" her beauty. She crossed her arms on the surface of the mahogany table and laid her head on them, not taking her eyes off her reflection. The morning was moving on so slow, and she was fine by it. She liked it. The sunlight streamed in from her open windows. Dressed in a loose shirt and cotton flannel shorts, Tifa smiled at herself as she stood up to make herself a cup of coffee.

Rufus had called her an hour ago to remind her that she was free for the day, but would be attending a gala in the evening. Lazard would come later in the afternoon to style her and Tifa was fine with the arrangement.

She stretched her arms and sighed happily, "Good morning Tifa!" she told herself as she poured the coffee in her favorite mug. She settled herself in her patio, with her cup of coffee and a paperback novel in hand.

She opened the novel, and started to read. Tifa must have been too immersed in the novel's story that she had not heard her cell phone ring, but the phone's insistent ringing got its way and she answered.

"Good morning Genesis!" she said with a smile, she wished that he could see it, and wondered if he was smiling too…

"Hello my love." He murmured, his voice was husky and soft. "How are you?"

Her heart started to beat faster, "I miss you, but I'm okay, I have the whole morning all to myself today! And you? How are you? Do you miss me?"

Genesis chuckled, "That's why I'm calling you, my love. My heart's aching because it misses you! What are you doing?"

"Aww," she cooed then laughed at herself, "I was just reading a book and having coffee in my sunny patio… clearly enjoying my morning off." She giggled.

"I'm glad you're enjoying your morning off," he said, his tone soothing, "Listen, I'm about to go to sleep here, my show in Paris is done and the crowd was amazing, they were looking for you when I was singing our song, even!"

That made her smile. "I wish I was there to witness that. You should sleep."

"But I don't want to yet. I miss you… and your voice… everything about you."

She bit her lip, "I miss everything about you too, Gene."

"Then fly over here and stay with me!" he teased. "I'll wait."

Loud laughter escaped her lips and said, "I can't…. but I'd very much love to Gene, you know that."

He was quiet for a minute and it worried Tifa. His silence bewildered her all the time, she wanted to know what was going on inside his mind… what was he thinking now?

"I love you too much," he finally said, "I'm sorry…I'm asking too much of you Tifa."

"What are you saying?" Tifa asked.

"I'm asking too much of you. I'm being selfish again." He told her slowly. "Forgive me."

Tifa laughed at her boyfriend and said, "You should get some sleep, Genesis. You're probably tired that's why you're suddenly like this."

He chuckled softly and said, "If you say so, my love. Have a good day, 'kay? I love you."

"I love you. Sleep well."

He ended the call, and she stared at her phone. She'd be stupid to think that her boyfriend was going to sleep right away, since he was a hardcore party animal, and she was sure that he and his whole crew would be celebrating after a successful show somewhere… but her faith was with him, because she loves him.

The wind kissed her softly as she carried on reading the book she had intended to read that morning. Everything was quiet, too quiet; she thought as she stood up and turned on her iPod. Music took over and she bobbed her head back and forth to the music.

She turned off her iPod and dialed her best friend's number.

"Hey Aerith," she said, a small smile played in her lips, "are you busy this morning?"

Aerith Gainsborough is Tifa's childhood best friend. They had met when they were six at school, but then Tifa had to move away from their neighborhood since her Mother's death. She was currently working as a florist.

"Oh, hey Tifa! How are you?" Aerith said, "I'm quite busy today… why are you asking?"

"I've got the morning off today," she said cheerfully, "mind if I come over?"

"I don't mind!" Aerith smiled.

"Great! I'll see you in twenty."

Aerith was arranging the roses when Tifa arrived, wearing a white shirt, black vest and jeans. "Hey!" Tifa breathed. They embraced each other and Aerith laughed, "Oh look. Tifa Lockheart's bare faced!" Tifa rolled her eyes.

"It's been a long time."

"Yeah, it's been a long time." Aerith agreed, she placed the roses in the display area.

"Do you mind if I help? I mean, I'm no florist or anything but I know—"

Aerith laughed at Tifa, "You are no florist, dummy, but I've already taught you the basics before, so you can help around… well, until what time can I keep you here?"

"Until lunch." Tifa beamed.

"That's great!"

The two ladies were enjoying their bonding very much. The flowers calmed Tifa's being more and the she smelled like roses. They were sitting behind the counter now, on the floor, waiting for a customer. Tifa was telling Aerith everything about Genesis and their plans after his tour, of course her best friend was thrilled.

"Ooh Tifa, you're so lucky to have finally found the One!" Aerith gushed.

Tifa blushed. "But there's something bothering me Aerith."

"What is it?"

"I want to leave show business. For good and Genesis seems to strongly disagree with me. I mean, shouldn't he be supporting me?"

Aerith shrugged and smiled, "Oh, Tifa, maybe he was taken by surprise by your sudden announcement. You know very well that Genesis comes from a family of artists… his dad was an actor and his mom was a dancer. Maybe you should give him time to process what you're planning?"

Tifa shook her head. "I'm not even sure if I want to leave anymore because of him. What if he leaves me once I…?"

The brunette rolled her eyes, "Then he's not worthy of you, Teef."

"I hope he is the One… really."

Aerith patted Tifa's shoulder and said, "Don't worry your pretty little head about it, you'll get wrinkles!" She pretended to shudder.

"Oh! What time is it?"

"11:30… oh my, time flies real fast when we're together… um… well, I haven't prepared anything for lunch… would you like a sandwich or something? There's a café right across the street…"

"Don't be silly, Aerith! I'll treat you!"

"Oh, really?" Aerith grinned, "Thanks!"

"Dominik's Pizza, hello?" a familiar voice said.

"I would like to order a double cheese pizza?"

"Ah! Tifa?"

She giggled. "Yup. I'd like a double cheese pizza please."

"Where will I deliver your order then?"

"Gainsborough Flowers… you know that, don't you?"

"Yeah… it's pretty close from here. Why are you there?"

"It's kind of a long story. Anyway, can you bring it over in fifteen minutes? We're starving here."

"Sure. See 'ya!"

Cloud arrived in exactly fifteen minutes and Tifa smiled. "Hi Cloud."

The delivery boy removed his helmet and grinned at Tifa, "Hello."

Tifa turned to Aerith and said, "Aerith, this is Cloud, Cloud this is my bestfriend, Aerith." Cloud extended his gloved hand to shake Aerith's hand and she took it. "Nice to meet you." They said at the same time. The three laughed. "Come, join us for a while, Cloud!" Aerith invited.

"Ah… are you sure?" Cloud mumbled.

"Of course! The more the merrier!"

Then Tifa's phone rang. "Hello, Lazard?"

"Where are you?"

"I'm at a friend's… are you there already?"

"Yes. I'm waiting right outside of your home, actually. Um… "

"I'm sorry! I'll be right over. Um?"

"Do you have a date for the gala already?"

"What date?"

"You have to have an escort for this gala, Tifa. Didn't Rufus tell you that?"

"…No."

"Dear Gaia. So you don't have a date?"

"Uh no… unless…" she turned to look at Cloud, "hold on. I'll call you back, Lazard."

"Oh… okay."

"Um, Cloud… are you busy this afternoon?"

Cloud looked at her, "Doesn't seem so, why?"

"Can I borrow you tonight… I apparently need a date for the gala tonight and my manager forgot to tell me about it, until my stylist reminded me…just now." She blushed. It was kind of awkward… to ask him.

Aerith squealed. "Oh Cloud you're so lucky!"

"I don't know… uh… I don't clothes your crowd wears."

"Don't worry about that, my stylist will take care of that. Please?"

Cloud looked reluctant… freaked out. Maybe she'd gone too far? "It's okay if you don't want to accompany me to the gala… you know." She mumbled as she looked away. The silence that had fallen was thick… uncomfortable, between Cloud and Tifa.

"Okay, I'll go…" Cloud mumbled.

"Really?" Tifa asked as she smiled at him. "Thank you!"

"Well… Zack can take my shift for this afternoon, I guess."

"Great! Let's go!"

She grabbed his wrist and made their way out. "I'll come back Aerith! Bye!"

"…Yeah, bye! Have fun Cloud!" Aerith laughed at Cloud's funny face. "Get on! You can come back for your bike here…" Tifa smiled.

When she arrived, her maid had already let Lazard in and he was waiting for her impatiently in the living room. "I'm sorry I kept you waiting Lazard. I've found my escort… but, um, he's not dressed appropriately."

Lazard looked at Cloud and studied him from head to toe. The blonde stylist smiled at Cloud and said,"You'll be fine. I'll have my assistant get you a suit from Armani. Now, Tifa come, come, we have a lot to do!"

The night had fallen when Lazard finished fixing Tifa's and Cloud's outfits. She was wearing a white gown with thousands of crystals and glitters embedded on the whole gown, sky high white platforms and her hair was fixed into a simple bun. She was wearing a diamond necklace worth 1.5 million gil and her bracelet. Cloud was wearing a crisp black Armani suit and Italian leather shoes—all were borrowed.

"I really don't like the spiky hair. Why won't you let me flatten it?" Lazard moaned.

Cloud smiled apologetically, "Because it takes hours to make it this spiky, sir."

Lazard scoffed, "Why do you kids do things like that anyway?"

"Individuality." Tifa mumbled as she walked in the room.

Cloud chuckled nervously.

"Well, you two better go, or you'll be late."

"Oh, thanks Lazard." Tifa bowed a little before she walked out of her home. Cloud behind her, "Hey Tifa…where are we going anyway?"

"The Howard Gala… are you familiar with…?"

"Obviously not." Cloud mumbled.

Tifa smiled at him, "That's okay, just stay close me when we get there okay?"

The limousine drove up to a luxurious and extremely crowded driveway. "You ready?" Tifa asked him, Cloud opened his blue eyes and nodded. "Yeah."

She smiled at him, "Then let's go." And they emerged from the limousine, and camera flashes blinded Cloud and Tifa instantly.

"Has Tifa Lockheart and Genesis Rhapsodos BROKEN UP? Who is this man accompanying Tifa in tonight's gala tonight?" a reporter said. The brunette and blonde were whisked inside the gala's venue, reporters were not allowed to have a word with neither of the two and it intrigued the media more.

The doors of the gala closed, separating them from the blinding flashes of the cameras.

"Well… that certainly felt new," Tifa said to Cloud, "I should have made you wear a mask to save you from the savage papz tomorrow…"

"I think I can manage them," Cloud grinned.

"You should." Tifa laughed. "Now, shall we enjoy ourselves tonight?"

* * *

Hi! It's been ages since I updated this story… and I apologize to those who have been asking for me to update quickly. Did you enjoy this chapter, dear Reader? If you did, or did not, **please tell me your thoughts about this update**—it will be very welcome! ^^

Victoria Chrystallis-07131922


	6. Breathe

**Chapter Six**

**Breathe… **

The world woke up to see Tifa and Cloud in the morning talk shows, printed on the first page of various tabloid and the main discussion of gossip talk broadcasts on the radio. Everybody was buzzing about who the handsome blonde man whom Tifa had come together with last night was.

The news reached Genesis at once, even before his coffee was served to him, because of all the media attention. Now, he was in a terrible mood as he dialed his girlfriend's number.

She answered at the third ring. "Hello, Genesis?"

"What the hell, Tifa. Isn't he the delivery boy from before?"

He heard her shuffle… was she was still in bed? "Yes."

"Then how did he end up becoming your date last night?"

"Oh Genesis, don't get worked up about it, I really needed a date for the gala last night and uh, it was a spur of the moment decision."

He raised his eyebrow. "Really. Alright, fine. Okay."

"Genesis…?" she mumbled.

"What?"

"Don't get mad about it, okay? He's just a friend."

Oh, now you're friends? "Yeah, okay. I'll call you back later. Bye."

"Bye…"

Tifa looked at her phone's screen. _What the hell, Tifa?_ What kind of greeting was that? Alright, so he did have a right to get mad, she didn't tell him anything about Cloud, but why was his tone flat? Cold? Wasn't he supposed to talking in burning and sexy tones, like always? He has never gotten mad, or upset, about anything she did before… was this how he talked when he was upset?

She got up with a frown, she rubbed her arms warily.

Last night was the best night she had ever had. Cloud was really fun to be with, and they ended up secluding themselves in the balcony, talking about random things like how he had ended up as a delivery boy ( he said that it's only temporary, he was saving up for college ) and what she would be doing if she were not a celebrity ( she answered she'd be wishing she was one, while studying and working in some fast food restaurant ) Every girl wanted to meet Cloud, and he was surprisingly bashful. It seemed odd, she thought, Genesis was very playful… when it came to women. Cloud was so, very different from Genesis. In many ways.

She turned on the television, and the first thing that she saw was her and Cloud, holding hands, while they were being herded over to the gala's venue. "It seems that Tifa Lockhart has got a new date, possibly, a new boyfriend as well. Who is he? He looks like a model, but our sources say that he is not associated with any of the modeling groups, but they would be happy to have him. His identity still remains a mystery… Some other guests said that the two secluded themselves all through the night, so very unlike Tifa. They kept mostly to themselves," the host said, she turned off the TV.

No wonder Genesis was pissed.

Tifa grumbled as her phone rang again. It was Rufus.

"Congratulations, your name is everywhere." Rufus said in a cool tone. "Who is your date anyway? You never told me."

"Just a friend I asked on the last minute." Tifa explained.

"Tifa, we need to make a statement. They're branding you a two timer in Celebrity Dish Out." Rufus said, his tone was now icy. Rufus was highly protective over her reputation—so far, there have been twenty law suits filed because of edited and perverted photos, destructive rumors and the use of her name in scams.

"He's just a friend of mine that I asked to accompany me, that's all. Genesis knows him. And we're not in a relationship." Tifa sighed. She twisted her hair and sat down. "Really, why are they making such a fuss about this? I'm tired of this…" Then, an idea struck her.

Rufus chuckled, "Because I think my dear girl, that they're excited that you're spicing up something. Now, I'm guessing that they'll be hounding you and Genesis for more info about this. That is why I'm sending addition protection over."

"What? Rufus! No! I don't need additional protection!"

"Please Tifa, stop refusing. This is for your own good."

She sighed again, "Rufus, I have a request."

"What is it?"

"I want to go on hiatus."

"What?" something shattered as Rufus yelled. A coffee mug, probably… "Are you serious?"

"Yes. I'd like a break from showbiz."

"Tifa, you can't. Your schedule is full, until next year."

"Then just hold off the things I'm supposed to do. For a month or something. I'll get back to them when I get back."

Rufus took a minute before answering. "But why?"

"I'm tired, that's all. Please let me go… let me breathe! I'm suffocating in this world, Rufus. It's been five years since I entered showbiz and I haven't had time for myself since then!" Tifa said, she clenched and unclenched her fist.

"What are you talking about, Tifa? We always give you time!"

"No you don't. Just, Rufus, give me some space and let me think over what I want to do with my career! Is that too much to ask?"

"Yes, it is. Tifa, don't think so rashly. Look, I'll give you the whole day off, okay? Just think this over. A hiatus can affect your career in a negative way."

"Yeah, I'll call you back when I've thought it over."

"Okay. I'll talk to you later."

"Mm."

In truth, Tifa didn't plan on contemplating over her decision at all. She wants to leave everything behind, even for just a while, all the glitz and glamour of the business was too great to bear now, and now, her friend was being dragged into some mess. Her relationship with Genesis was suddenly being questioned by the public, like the past three years had been nothing at all. Was he questioning it as well? She couldn't tell who were friends really were in this place. ..

She flung open her closet doors, and started packing.

Rufus wasn't going to say yes, unless… she was far away already. He wouldn't be able to do anything… nor would Genesis.

Genesis…

How would she tell him? What will she tell him?

"Stop thinking Tifa," she muttered, "just stop thinking."

She called Rufus, "I've thought about it and I'm sticking to my request Rufus. I'm going on hiatus for one month. Don't look for me for now, I'll be back, don't worry. I'm not sure where I'll be going but I'll be back. Bye."

"I love you Gene." she said to his voicemail. The words meant the world to her, and she wondered if it did mean anything to him.

"Why am I doubting us like this?" she hissed at herself, "Right. I really need to take a break. A long break."

She threw her bags on the trunk of her car, and started to drive… to nowhere, to anywhere. Her phone was going to ring and ring, but she wouldn't answer. It would just ring and ring, on her table top at home.

Tifa laughed.

"I can go anywhere." she breathed.

What about Cloud? She frowned. She couldn't just leave, and let him face hell alone... now, could she? He was a dear friend, and she just couldn't allow it. "Okay." she said, "Okay... what to do." she stopped her car and pulled over.

Cloud, Cloud, Cloud.

"He'll be fine, I hope." she mumbled as she started to drive again. "Maybe he'll change his hair do for a while..."


	7. She's Kalm while everyone else is not

**Chapter Seven:**

* * *

Tifa arrived in a sleeping town at around dawn. Thankfully, the inn was still open. The place was nothing like the edgy and elegant hotels she had come in before—it was rather dingy in this inn. The lobby had shabby second hand looking furniture, the floor was bare, the paint was peeling off, there was an ancient television and a single potted plant brought life to the dead room.

"'Welcome," somebody said.

Tifa turned and saw a nice looking old lady standing by the counter. "Hello, I'd like a room."

"Certainly. How long do you plan to stay here?"

Tifa bit her lip. "A few weeks. I'm taking a time off from work, you see."

"City life finally caught up with you, eh, miss?" the old lady chuckled.

Tifa smiled at the old lady. "Yes, it has."

The old lady gave her a slip and pen. "I need you to sign this for me, missy."

"What for?" Tifa asked curiously.

"Oh, I'm just making sure that you don't run off from me like my previous customers."

Tifa signed the paper with a fake name, _Jessica Lockes_, and the lady handed her a key. "Room one should do you fine. There aren't a lot of travelers here this time of year so you really will have a lot of peace and quiet. I serve breakfast at eight and the shower's just cold, sorry."

"That's alright. Thank you." Tifa grabbed her bags and headed to her room. It was a good thing that the old woman did not recognize her at all, she sighed in relief. After locking the door, she threw her bags in the corner, resolving to unpack them tomorrow and crashed in bed.

When she woke up that morning, she took in the shabby room. Just like the lobby downstairs, the floor was bare , but polished, the paint was also peeling in the room and the previous occupant had etched his name, a profanity and another name on the wall, her bed was comfortable enough. An empty bedside table stood beside her bed and the window curtains were slightly moth eaten.

Tifa got up from the warm bed and headed towards the bathroom. The bathroom was very simple. There was a sink, a toilet and a shower area. Tiny bottles of shampoo and a small bar of soap were provided, along with two old towels.

"Gaia, this place is horrible. They've got no fluffy towels!" she murmured to herself.

After undressing, she turned on the top and immediately started a short tap dance. The water was freezing!

Her teeth were still chattering when she got dressed. She then unpacked her clothes. Suddenly the old lady knocked on her door. "Hey? Are you awake?"

"Oh," Tifa mumbled. "Yes! Good morning!"

"Oh, do you want breakfast?"

"Yes please. Sorry I was unpacking."

"That's okay, missy. I'll bring your food right over."

"Oh, uh, okay, thank you!"

Breakfast was a sad bowl of oatmeal, two slices of toast with strips of bacon and black coffee. With a hungry smile, she dug right in. If she had been eating with Rufus and Lazard, they'd have been counting the calorie on _everything _she was going to put in her mouth.

'_Are you sure you want to eat that bacon? Why not a nice, juicy slice of a Banora apple instead?' _that's what Lazard would probably tell her.

'_Don't drink that! Coffee stains the teeth!'_

'_You should work out right after eating, doll.'_

Happy that they were only mental renditions, she finished her meal without a worry. Who wanted to be famous when they couldn't eat what they wanted?

Okay, so oatmeal, bread and bacon wasn't really what she wanted. She wanted waffles with whipped cream and strawberries, or just plain syrup, bacon and eggs and a tall cup of cappuccino. But this was better than a single fruit, right?

* * *

Cloud groaned as Zack entered his room. Zack looked really annoyed. "Cloud," the raven said, "get your lazy ass up. You're gonna get us both fired!" He pulled Cloud's blanket off and frowned. "Jeez, Cloud. Really? GET UP!"

Cloud groaned and faced his flat mate. "Zack, can't you go to work _alone_?"

"No, we both have to report today. Look, all you have to do is change your hairstyle."

Cloud moaned and threw his pillow at Zack. "My hair style is awesome, leave it alone."

Zack rolled his eyes. "Awesome? It resembles a chocobo!"

Cloud opened his mouth to refute his friend's statement, but was interrupted by a knocks on the door. The knocks sounded impatient and demanding. The two looked at each other.

"We already paid the rent, right?"

"Coming!" Zack yelled.

Who knocked like that? The raven thought… their landlady? Oh, no, their landlady was prim and proper, she wouldn't knock like that even if they leave the water on all day…

A blonde dressed in white was standing outside the door, flanked by men in black suits.

"Uhh… yes? We don't owe the mafia, I swear." Zack said.

The blonde smirked and spoke. "Is miss Lockhart here by chance?"

Zack's brows met. "Tifa Lockhart? Oh dude, what I would give to say that she is."

"I'm Rufus Shinra, her manager. Is she here?" Rufus asked impatiently.

"Nah, she isn't." Zack mumbled.

"Is your blonde friend here?" Rufus asked.

"Cloud? Yeah, he is. Want me to call him for ya?"

"Yes."

"HEY CLOUD!"

Cloud walked out of his room sluggishly, with no shirt on. He scratched the back of his neck as he did so. "What?" he asked.

"Rufus, er, Shinra is asking for you."

"Rufus Shinra?" Cloud asked. "Who's Rufus Shinra?"

"_I'm_ Rufus Shinra," Rufus interjected. "Tifa Lockhart's manager. Do you know where she is?"

"I don't know… in her house, maybe? Sleeping in her bed?" Cloud answered. "Why are you looking for her here?"

"Tifa is not at home, sleeping, as you said. She left for an unknown location, and I thought that she might have told you," Rufus said. "She cannot go missing, Cloud. Her career will take a hard, painful blow if she disappears for a month. Nobody will remember her name!"

"Chill, blondie! This is Tifa Lockhart we're talking about here." Zack interjected.

Rufus looked sharply at Zack. "I am simply looking out for my client, and right now, if she doesn't come back, all of the projects that she has lined up—the endorsements, the clothing line—will all be withdrawn and given to others. Do you know how much money she'd lose?"

"Don't you mean how much money _you'd_ lose?" Cloud said. "Maybe she left because of what you're doing."

"Excuse me?" Rufus looked surprised, but regained his composure quickly.

"Maybe she got tired of all the things you're making her do, that's why she went away." Cloud said. "You know, you make her work too much."

Rufus's lips formed into a thin, hard line and his eyes narrowed. "I take good care of my clients, boy. Now, tell me what you know or I'm going to get you fired from your work!"

"I told you already! I don't know so stop being a dick, Shinra!" Cloud bellowed. "She didn't call me or anything!"

"Yeah, man, the gal didn't call." Zack echoed.

"Make sure that you're not lying, kid or else." Rufus threatened.

"Or else?" Cloud dared.

"Expect retribution."

Rufus left.

"Jeez, what a way to start the day, eh, Cloud?" Zack murmured as Cloud shut the door loudly.

* * *

After returning the tray to the kitchen, Tifa made her way out of the inn. It was then that she finally recognized that she had driven to Kalm. She had visited this place before, shooting for a magazine. She tugged her trucker cap to hide her eyes. It was a very sleepy village, she noted and she noted…

Everybody looked at her as she walked. The young boys and teenagers all gawked, the girls stared. Kalm would be a good place to think about her future plans.

Tifa passed a little bookshop and saw a tabloid with her face blown on the whole front page with the caption: Tifa Lockhart is MISSING

"Oh dear Gaia." she groaned. "Stupid Rufus!" Tifa turned around and went back to the inn.

"Um, lady, do you have a pair of scissors?" she asked the innkeeper.

The innkeeper put down the newspaper she was reading. "They're behind the counter missy, why are you asking?"

"Um, I need to cut the split ends…" Tifa gave an awkward grin.

The innkeeper shrugged. "Sure."

"Thanks." Taking the scissors, Tifa ran to her room as if the devil himself were on her heels.

* * *

**Author's Note: Thanks for reading! And to Coli Chibi for reminding me to update this~ I was really busy with my other fic, and school. Ugh. Rufus PLEASE buy school and eradicate it, haha. Please don't forget to REVIEW! oooh... and, can you imagine Tifa without her trademark hairstyle? If you can, in what style do you see her in? **

**-Victoria Chrystallis**


	8. Let's Rock!

Chapter Eight: Let's Rock!

* * *

Genesis looked at his reflection in the mirror. His make-up artist had just finished applying make-up on, and was now busying herself with his band mates. He could hear their fans' impatient screams outside, and he was waiting for his phone to ring.

Tifa had disappeared, after she had called him to say that she loved him. Where the hell was she? Why did she go away just like that? She could have at least told him her plans! Her manager, Rufus, had informed him that they were doing everything they could when he called, demanding answers.

"Where did she go?" he asked haughtily.

"We're still trying to locate her whereabouts, Genesis. Be patient. She left her phone at home so it's no use." Rufus answered.

"Call me when you find her."

"Of course."

"Hey, Genesis, it's time to go!" his band mate called after him. "Alright. I'm coming." Genesis answered softly. He heard the fans' gasps of surprise when the lights went out, shrieks echoed out to him. Genesis smirked. The stage was dark when they walked in on the stage. Angeal started to do his drum solo and the fans screamed their lungs out. The spotlights went on and moved randomly around the crowd. Their guitarists started their riffs, Genesis could feel the music surging in. The spotlight hit his profile and he screamed as a greeting to their eager fans. They roared back.

When they finished their first song, he said, "Alright, Roquefort, I want you to march!"

They marched, as if in a trance. He smiled as he watched them do his bidding.

* * *

She sat under a Banora apple tree with her leather sketchpad on her lap. The sketchpad was a gift from Genesis, two months ago when she announced that she would be launching a clothing line. It's still clean. This time would be the perfect time to fill it with her drawings. Her art…

Tifa twirled the pencil around, thinking. What did she want to do?

"Hey, are you an artist?" somebody suddenly asked from behind her.

She turned around to see a girl with braided mousy brown hair with a pink ribbon tied to the end. Tifa smiled, "You could say that."

The little girl smiled. "You're pretty. I'm Marlene."

"Hi Marlene, that's an awfully nice ribbon." Tifa said. Years of being a celebrity had trained her to say hello and add a customary compliment on anything worth mentioning.

Marlene giggled. "Nah, it's not. May I see…?"

Glancing at her empty sketchpad, Tifa grimaced. "It's empty right now."

"Then let me see it when you're done drawing!" Marlene said with a smile. She had wonderfully, long lashed eyes. Tifa added Marlene's eyes to the vision of her future daughter.

"You'll be the first one to see." Tifa smiled.

Marlene sat down beside her, "So… where are you from? You're not from around here. I saw you yesterday, you had longer hair. Are a criminal?"

Tifa laughed. _They thought she was a criminal?_

"No, I'm not a criminal, silly. I just wanted shorter hair yesterday."

Marlene nodded. "You look like my favorite actress, Tifa Lockhart. Is she your twin? Do you have a sister?"

_Oh great, somebody knows me here. What luck! _Tifa grimaced. Of course, she was going to lie to this girl. She would tell her that she was not Tifa, and that she was not related to Tifa. She is Jessica Lockes, an independent, free spirit from Nibelheim. Tifa Lockhart was bound to her name, and Jessica Lockes is the complete opposite. But something in Marlene's big, brown eyes made Tifa say the truth.

The girl's reaction was comical. Marlene's eyes widened and her mouth opened into a little 'o'. Her breathing seemed to have stopped then she squealed really loudly. Then fell backwards that Tifa dropped the sketchpad to prevent Marlene from rolling all the way down. Tifa was laughing as she positioned Marlene upright.

"We have to keep this a secret, alright, Marlene?"

"Yes!"

Somehow, it felt nice that somebody knew her and she knew that she could trust that person. A child would never lie, right?

* * *

Rufus sat elusively in his leather chair, thinking. Where could his star client have gone off to? He had been in her house—he had his own key—and saw that she had left in a hurry. Clothe hangers lay strewn all over her bedroom floor, in the walk in closet. She had taken only her sweatpants, jeans, shirts and her favorite items. Her jewelry, shoes and gowns stayed neatly organized. Only one pair of shoes were missing, Lazard said, her running shoes. The stylist was obviously annoyed with this fact—"She is _so _unfashionable! If I were to run away, I'd pack all my good items, not the rotten ones!" Lazard yelled with frustration.

Rufus only chuckled.

"Tifa is Tifa, Lazard, you really cannot make her change." he said.

* * *

Two hours, fifteen songs. He had already taken off his coat and tossed it to the crowd. Sixteen fans have fainted. Genesis and his band were exhausted. Really exhausted. But when he saw a certain auburn haired girl sitting in the dressing room's couch, all his exhaustion magically disappeared. He grinned broadly as she welcomed him in her arms. Angeal and the guitarists proceeded to the tour bus.

"Hi," Genesis whispered in her hot, creamy skin.

"Hey," she whispered back. "I missed you."

"And I missed you too. C'mere," Genesis pulled her up and he sat down. She sat on his lap. They kissed voraciously. She undid his pants and gave him release.

"Oh yes—!" Genesis moaned.

Angeal brandished his drumsticks and sighed. One of these days, he was going to hit his friend's head and give him a lecture about fidelity.

* * *

**Author's Note: UUUUHM since this is a Rated T fic, I'll let you hang by a thread on Genesis and this creamy skinned girl. Use your imagination, it includes a lot of sweat, I tell you. A lot. I feel really sorry for Tifa now. Wonder who this girl is? =3= .. tell me who you think she is in your Review, alright? **

**I believe that I am entitled to brand Genesis a **_whore_ **now. XD**


	9. Their True Colors

Chapter Nine:

* * *

It's been two weeks already.

Tifa smiled at herself as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. How odd was it that she was counting her days in seclusion? She was definitely not bored, oh no, she wasn't. She had visited the local farmers a few days ago and wished that she had brought along her camera. The camera was at home, in a shelf, or on a table top, she didn't remember. The scenery was so different here, it felt like it was her own piece of heaven.

As she sat under an old tree, she glanced at the afternoon sun and remembered Cloud.

How was he?

She wished that she was here with him, and then they could talk about completely random things like why she liked pepperoni pizza. She missed Cloud and their easy conversations.

Yes, Marlene was easy to talk to, but the young girl was too curious about her lifestyle than she would have wanted. Yesterday, they were talking about Genesis. Marlene adored Genesis and she hoped for them both to get married and have lots and lots of kids soon!

"Your babies are going to be the prettiest babies in the whole wide Planet!" the girl exclaimed.

Tifa had smiled at Marlene and said nothing. She didn't want to say that if ever she married Genesis, she would end her career for good and ask him to do the same. Telling a fan about sensitive topics like this was crucial and dangerous. Tifa could lose Marlene, and Marlene could spread it out. Count on gossip tabloids to spread it like wild fire.

Today, she had nothing planned at all.

Her sketchpad already contained three sketches of gowns. She had decided that she would use the woven cloths from the village. This place needed more exposure! Tifa felt relatively content with her accomplishments so far.

As she walked down the stairs, the innkeeper met her.

"Good morning," Tifa said.

"Good morning," the innkeeper said. "Marlene dropped by a little while ago asking for you."

"She did?" Tifa asked. "Wow, she got up early!"

The innkeeper smiled and nodded. "Yes, she did. She asked me to tell you to head to your hiding place. I suppose that that place is your secret hide out with Marlene?"

Tifa couldn't help but laugh. "You could say that. Um, I'll be off then."

The elderly woman nodded and went back to cleaning the already spotless inn. When Tifa arrived in their spot, Tifa saw Marlene sitting there, nibbling on a piece of toast. The girl was staring into the horizon.

"Good morning Marlene." Tifa said with a smile.

Marlene turned to look at Tifa and said, "Why did you really come here?"

Tifa looked at the little girl and sat down beside her. "I came here because I felt suffocated with my work, my life—everything. I just wanted to take a break from it all for a while…Why did you ask so suddenly?" Her heart started to pound nervously.

"Mmm, well, I was watching TV last night and you were a gossip show. Your manager was talking about you, and your boyfriend was also in the show." Marlene frowned.

"Oh?" Tifa swallowed. She shouldn't be so affected. She and Genesis were always on gossip talk shows. They could have been the poster couple of those trashy shows. But… what the hell was Rufus doing in a gossip show? "What was it about?"

"Your manager was talking about you. He said really mean things about you, like, you never liked the attention that's why you ran away. Is he telling the truth?" Marlene looked into Tifa's eyes. "Do you hate being famous?"

Her throat went dry. Yes, she did not appreciate all the attention that the media gave her. They often invaded her privacy. Her privacy and Genesis'… but Genesis never seemed to mind, did he? He liked the attention. He was such an attention whore. The paparazzi loved him for it. Getting designer duds were great and getting a hundred thousand gil a show/shoot was awesome—those were the good perks of fame. She liked those perks, sure. Everybody did. But you could never trust anybody in this industry. Even, as it now seems, your manager.

"I don't hate being famous entirely, Marlene. I just hate some things about it." Tifa said. "I mean, how would you like it if somebody suddenly knocks on your door so early in the morning asking for an autograph… a kiss?"

Marlene made a face and Tifa nodded. "You know, Genesis and I actually planned to get married in secret. I was going to use his private jet to get where he was. So what's this about Genesis, Marlene?"

There was a pause. Marlene did not speak for a moment; she only chewed her bottom lip, as if she was wary.

"Come on, Marlene, it's only a rumor, isn't it? What is it?" she asked.

"It's not a rumor, in my opinion though, Tifa." Marlene mumbled. "There was a video."

"A video?" Tifa felt really uneasy now.

Marlene nodded. "Genesis was driving in his new sports car in uh, I forgot where, sorry—and your co-star in Immortal was sitting in the passenger seat. They were both trying to avoid the media,"

Tifa's heart skipped a beat. "What!" Genesis was with another girl, was he? She swallowed and tasted bile. But… what if, they just ran into each other and being the show off that Genesis is, he decided to take her out for a ride in his brand new car? Genesis could not possibly do this to her! They've been together for three years! Cissnei would never pass up an opportunity to get her claws on everything Tifa had—she was like a copycat. Did she want Genesis too?

Who wouldn't want Genesis?

"Tifa? Are you alright?" Marlene broke her reverie.

"Oh, yeah. I am." Tifa blinked back the tears.

Marlene shuffled her feet on the ground and said, "They're mean. Just because you went away, they started to show their bad sides. I don't like them."

"Maybe running away was a good idea after all then," Tifa said, "now I know who I can trust and who I can't… shouldn't have. See? Who wouldn't hate being famous when everybody just wants to be with you for publicity and profit?" She looked at the little girl and bit her lip. "When I get back, the first thing I'm going to do is fire my manager and get a new one. I'm going to fire him and his brother. I'm tired of being bossed around. Then, I'm breaking up with Genesis."

She felt unusual. She felt calm, at peace, as if everything was alright. She was breaking up with her long-time boyfriend and firing the men responsible for her fame—that was something she should be crying about, shouldn't it? Maybe… she had seen this coming a long time ago, she had just not really cared to acknowledge it. Had she really loved Genesis? Or had she been blinded by his gorgeous face and body, enticed by his sickly sweet words and seductive voice? Did she know what love was? Was the love that they shared just for the public? A show?

_Goddess. _

"You know Marlene, I think I want to visit my friend back in the city." Tifa finally said.

"A friend?"

"Yes," Tifa smiled. "I think… I hope… he hasn't turned his back on me as well."

Marlene stood up and looked at Tifa, "You're leaving?"

"I promise I will be back, kiddo. Don't worry." Tifa smiled. Marlene smiled tentatively. "If you want, I'll even leave my sketchpad with you."

"Really?" Marlene's face lit up at once.

Tifa nodded. "I just need to talk to him really."

"I want to come with you!" Marlene pleaded.

She scratched her head. "I don't think that your parents will agree. I mean, I'm just a visitor in your town, Marlene."

The little girl pouted. "My parents are already dead, Tifa, but my uncle is taking care of me. I call him Daddy, though, and I am positive that he's going to let me go!"

Tifa chewed her lip. "Well," she sighed, "we could give it a try."

"Yay!" Marlene jumped and grabbed Tifa's hand. "C'mon, let's go to Daddy's working site!"

It did not take long for Barret to let Marlene go. "Just take good care of my little girl, okay? If she gets hurt in anyway-"

"Oh Daddy! Jessica's not going to hurt me! She's not a bad person." Marlene interjected.

Barret only smiled and nodded. "I trust your judgement, doll. Uh, Jessica, when are you coming back?"

Tifa smiled back. "Probably tomorrow."

"Tomorrow. What time?"

"Hm, I'm not sure."

"Alright, dare not to be back tomorrow and you're in trouble Miss Lockes, ya understand?"

Tifa nodded. She accompanied Marlene with packing her backpack with overnight clothes and then she packed her things up as well. It was funny- she was going to show up in the pizza parlor and surprise Cloud. That was new.

* * *

**Author's Note: Waa~ hi reader! Thanks for reading this. I know it's been a long time since I last updated and I'm sorry. Anyway, how did find this update? Tell me how horrible it is in your Review! xD**

**-Victoria Chrystallis**


	10. Early Mornings

Chapter Ten: Early Mornings

* * *

"Well, that's it. I'm finally done!" Cloud said happily to himself as he locked up the pizza parlor. The rain was starting pick up, Cloud bit his lip as he tugged at his jacket. "Dang it, this thing isn't helping me at all," he muttered. He ran to his Fenrir and started the engine as fast as he could. Suddenly, a black SUV came up. It stopped right in front of him.

He rolled his eyes. It was probably Rufus Shinra again. Asking for Tifa, _again_…

The next thing he knew was seeing Tifa emerging from the SUV. She had shorter hair, he noticed.

"Cloud!" she gasped. Something jumped inside Cloud. "Thank the goddess, I thought I wasn't gonna catch you." Tifa smiled.

He only stared at her. "Tifa? Is that really you?" he asked. She was back!

"Mmm, yes." She smiled. Cloud's heart skipped a beat. Why was he feeling like this? Tifa walked towards him. Cloud swallowed.

"Cool. Where have you been?" he asked, trying to act calm.

"Not here." she whispered, pulling his hand. "Let's go to your house. It's awfully cold out here."

"Yeah, sure."

"Let's use my car. You're soaking wet." Tifa said.

He nodded, but once he opened the passenger seat's door, he found that it was occupied. "Uh, Tifa, who is this? Your sister?" he asked.

Tifa shook her head. "No, that's Marlene. I met her in the village I was staying in. She wanted to tag along, so here she is. Get in, we need to get back by tomorrow."

The drive to his apartment was short. Apparently, he lived close to his working place. The apartment complex was gloomy, and all of its residents were sleeping. Cloud had to carry Marlene, since she had fallen asleep.

"It's not much, but it's home." Cloud said. "Oh, and we have to be quiet. I share this flat with Zack." He placed Marlene on the old couch and grinned apologetically. "Um, can I offer you anything? Coffee?"

Tifa smiled and shook her head. "No, but thank you."

"Alright."

Cloud's apartment wasn't stylish nor was it shabby. It looked like what a room shared by two guys would look like—messy in most places, neat in some areas. The white walls were bare, the curtains looked like they needed washing and the floor was neat. Cloud rushed to tidy up a bit. He stuffed some magazines in a drawer. Tifa smirked.

When he looked at her, she knew exactly what he wanted to say but couldn't. "Oh, please sit down." Cloud said, gesturing to the seat beside her.

"I know what you're thinking about. You wondering where I went, and why," Tifa said quietly. He nodded. She smiled. "And why I'm sitting in front of you now."

He took a seat in front of her. "Yeah, sort of… So why did you suddenly leave?"

"I just wanted out. I was starting to feel claustrophobic. I asked for a break from my manager but he refused, he said I had too many engagements that couldn't be put off." Tifa said. "I felt so ignored."

"Ignored?" Cloud asked. "But everybody loves you…"

Tifa shook her head. "No. If you're talking about my fans, the press… then you don't understand. They only love the Tifa that wears skimpy clothes. Do you think that they would still adore me if I no longer wore scanty clothes? Don't be fooled by the media's mask." She sighed. "Everybody in the entertainment business has their own masks… their personal demons."

Cloud only nodded. In the couch, Marlene stirred.

"I always thought about it like that." he shrugged. "So… what are you planning to do from here?"

Tifa closed her eyes. "I'm going to go back to square one. Don't you know that Genesis is cheating on me? Marlene was the one who told me… because she was the one who watched the TV."

"Wait… what?" Cloud said, "You didn't watch TV at all during your vacation? Wow, Tifa." There was a hint of strained humor in his voice. When Tifa didn't laugh, he looked at her. She was crying. "Oh, Tifa." Cloud's tone was serious now, comforting. He touched her shoulder and patted it consolingly.

"He said he loved me, Cloud! He told me so many times! But the moment I leave, he goes off and holds another girl in his arms… like I didn't exist." she sobbed. "And we've been together for three years. Has it always been this way?" Her shoulders shook as she cried the tears she didn't cry in front of Marlene. "I know that he… he's not the serious type but Cloud… I… I believed the fantasy he created for me… I thought, _hey, he's different from the other guys_. But he isn't!"

She heard Cloud's chair scrape the floor and his quiet footsteps. He kneeled in front of her and held her hand. His eyes glittered in the dark, they quivered, as if he were unsure of what to say. Tifa just looked at him. "I thought… I believed… that he wasn't using me for more publicity. B-but I guess that was exactly the reason behind it all."

Outside, the rain fell harder.

Finally, Cloud reached out and wiped away her tears with the back of his hand. "You really loved him, didn't you?" he whispered.

"Yes," she croaked. "I did."

"When I was kid, I had a crush on the prettiest girl in school. Heck, all the boys did. But she always hung out with the popular boy because he was the smartest and coolest… She never let anybody talk to her. It was as if we were monsters who would eat her if we did. One day, the most awesome thing happened. She talked to me." Cloud said. "She told me that I was pretty cute. She asked me loads of things… like, what books I read, what sports I played—I said I played nothing, because I was so honest. And then the popular kids sprang up on us and laughed at me. They called me names and the worst part was that she pointed and laughed at me as well." Tifa stared at him, hiccupping. "Ever since then, I hated her and her group. I think she's a single mom now."

Tifa turned away. "That's different. At least she didn't pretend so long."

Cloud stood up. "Yeah. But I became a better person after… I guess, I'm telling you to move on from him and become a better girl so that when he sees you again, he'd eat his heart out." He gave her a small smile.

She returned his smile. "That's exactly my plan. Tomorrow, I'm going to start with that."

"How?"

"I'm firing my manager and then I'm going to look for a new one. Tifa Lockhart will be in indefinite hiatus until I figure out what I want to do with my career… if I still want to continue with it or quit it. Maybe if I decide to quit, we can start our own business." Tifa smiled weakly.

"What business would that be?" he asked.

Tifa shrugged. "I don't know… yet!" she laughed shakily.

"Hey, I'll hold you to that, future business partner." Cloud winked.

Silence enveloped them.

"I think you should get some rest, Tifa. You can sleep in my room." he suddenly said.

"But where will you sleep?" she asked.

"I'll sleep on the couch. She'll be sleeping beside you anyway."

"Oh no. I couldn't possibly… I mean Cloud, it's sort of embarrassing. This is your place after all."

Cloud rolled his eyes. "I won't be comfortable with Zack screaming in the morning."

Tifa smiled and Cloud led her to his room, a sleeping Marlene in his arms. His room was neat, his bed was fixed and there was not a litter on the floor. It smelled of his cologne. She liked it. Genesis's room always smelled like air freshener, cigarette smoke and new books. She's not saying that she didn't like the smell of his room, but it was just too much. She liked more simple smells like Cloud's room. Goddess, why was she rambling about _smells_?

"Hey Cloud," she said as Cloud turned to leave.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Thank you." she kissed his cheek. Cloud's face was hot, was he blushing? Tifa giggled nervously. "Uh, can I ask you a for another favor?"

"S-sure." Cloud mumbled. They were an inch apart, he could just pull her into his arms and kiss her soft lips.

"Go back with us, so I can get my things and set my plans in motion tomorrow, okay?" she whispered.

Cloud nodded. "Alright. I'll go... Good night, er, morning."

"Good morning." Tifa said, Cloud closed the door.

As Cloud settled in the couch, trying to get comfortable he looked up at the dark ceiling. It really was unfair for Tifa to be treated the way everybody had treated her. For him, she was one of the most beautiful people he had ever known, not only from outside but also from inside. How could her boyfriend and manager have not seen that?

* * *

**Author's Note: You're not even reading it. Okay, if you are, thank you for not ignoring me. xD I'm so sorry if this took so loong to put out, school is eating me alive. Darn those equations. Anywho, how did you find this chapter? BORING? OKAY? GOOD? HORRIBLY WRITTEN?**

**Tell me what you think in your REVIEW. :)**

**-Victoria Chrystallis**


	11. Returner

Chapter Eleven: Returner

* * *

It was about ten in the morning when Tifa, Marlene and Cloud finally got to leave the apartment. They had to wait for Zack to leave, well… to be more precise, they had to try to make Zack leave when he found Tifa eating toast with Cloud. He nearly screamed at Cloud as he asked questions.

"Why's she here!" he hissed, still staring at her. "Isn't she supposed be, you know, missing?"

Cloud shrugged. "She suddenly showed up last night."

"Suddenly showed up!" Zack mussed his hair. "Where'd she show up? At work?"

The blonde nodded. "Yes. I was about to go home then…"

"I see… hey Cloud, you didn't have her number all along, did'ya? You know that her manager's breathing down our necks since the day she went missing. Can you imagine the things that he could do the moment he finds out that she's here? With us?" Zack met Tifa's curious and startled eyes.

"Shut up, Zack." Cloud hissed, "She doesn't know a thing about her manager and his goons, okay? Don't worry, she's coming back for good, after we bring back the little girl."

"Where'd she get the kid anyway?"

"She met the little girl in the place she went… in Kalm. Kid's a big fan and recognized Tifa quickly." Cloud whispered.

"Can I come?" Zack asked loudly, intending for Tifa to hear.

"You'll have to ask Tifa that… wait, no, you can't come!" Cloud protested.

"Why can't I, Cloud ol' boy? Hmm? Keeping her all to yourself?" Zack wiggled his brows as he said this.

"I'm not! It's just that the boss will get really mad if we don't show up for work. You can always say that I don't feel well… he'll understand."

"Oh, this is so unfair."

"What's not fair? I'm just going to accompany Tifa in getting all her stuff that she left in Kalm." Cloud rolled his eyes. "We'll be back before the six o'clock news comes on!"

"Right." Zack mumbled.

Marlene tugged at Tifa's shirt. "Aren't we going yet?" she asked.

Tifa looked at Marlene and then back at the two young men. "Let's just hope that they're going to finish their discussion soon." She smiled at Marlene apologetically.

Suddenly, Cloud stood up and Zack sighed. "Alright Tifa, we can go now." Cloud said with a grin. Zack had a frown painted on his face.

"Aw, Zack, don't worry, I'll get you a souvenir." Tifa said as she and Marlene walked towards the door. The raven-haired man nodded and smiled. "Take care then, okay?"

"Yes, we will."

They were off.

* * *

The ride back to Kalm was filled with laughter, the scent of coffee and bread. They talked about their childhood, and Marlene told them stories about living in Kalm. It wasn't a dry, sad drive back, just like Tifa had experienced before. Halfway to Kalm, Marlene started to interrogate Cloud.

"Are you Tifa's new boyfriend?"

This innocent question made Tifa step on the brakes. She cleared her throat as she and Cloud turned to their heads to stare at her.

"No, I'm not Tifa's boyfriend. I'm just her friend." Cloud clarified with a brotherly smile.

Marlene pouted and blushed. "Okay. But I think that you make Tifa happy."

It was Tifa's turn to blush. "And how did you think that, Marlene?"

"Well… you have a hundred other friends but you still chose to come to Cloud when you were sad. That ought to count for something." Marlene mumbled.

Tifa and Cloud just stared at each other and blushed. "Hmm…" Tifa couldn't articulate any words to answer Marlene. The little girl giggled as if she knew something that they didn't. The drive back to Kalm became quiet.

When they finally arrived, Barret was already anxious. "Marlene!" he shouted when the SUV stopped. Marlene ran to him and hugged her uncle-Daddy.

"I thought you weren't coming back, honestly." Barret told Tifa, he peeked at Cloud. "And who's your friend, Jessica?"

Cloud looked at Tifa with a questioning gaze. "Jessica?" he whispered.

Tifa smiled coyly and just winked. Cloud understood and nodded back. "I'm Cloud. Cloud Strife."

Both men shook hands.

"So… how did you like the city, Marlene?" Barret asked.

"It was alright, though, the lights there are too bright and they're never off at night!" the little girl replied. Her uncle-daddy smiled. "That's nice to know." Marlene then continued to tell him tales of the tall skyscrapers and shops she had seen. Tifa and Cloud looked at each other and smiled.

"Excuse me, Barret, Marlene… we'll be going now. I have to get my things at the inn." Tifa said with a small smile.

Marlene stared at Tifa, and slowly nodded. Barret only smiled.

"Goodbye!" Marlene called after them.

"Bye now, kiddo." Cloud said with a big grin. Tifa giggled and waved good bye to Marlene.

As soon as she gunned the engine, Cloud started laughing. "_Jessica,_ huh?" Tifa punched him playfully in the arm. "Don't hurt my alter-ego, dude. She'll kick your ass." When Cloud stopped laughing, she added, "Just kidding. Jessica and I are saving the butt kicking for Genesis."

"Alright." Cloud said, still trying to control his laughter. "So… what's the story of Jessica?"

"Jessica Lockes is a free spirit that graduated from Midgar University. She likes listening to rock music, painting and sketching, reading poetry and novels and most importantly, she does what she wants, when she wants." Tifa turned to see Cloud staring at her with mystified eyes. "Hey, what's with the staring?"

Cloud shook his head. "Awesome back story, miss Lockes."

She nodded and smiled. "Thank you. Well, here we are. _The birthplace of Jessica Lockes_..."

"I can't believe that you stayed in this place! I always imagined that you A-list celebrities only stayed in 5-star hotels…" Cloud mumbled.

Tifa chuckled. "Of course we do. But hey, there isn't much of a difference. The bed here was soft and warm." Cloud shrugged. "Come on, the innkeeper's waiting."

He stood in the doorway, watching her pack away the rest of her things. His arms were folded across his chest, and he looked like he was deep in thought. This woman, who was pacing back and forth in front of him, is one of the biggest female celebrities out there, and yet… she stayed in this shabby looking inn for a month. A normal girl would have complained about the curtains and requested for satin sheets. He swallowed, trying to melt away the lump in his throat.

"I'm almost done, I'm just packing the toiletries, okay, Cloud?" she called out to him.

"Yeah," he mumbled.

She was no ordinary girl. Did Genesis or her manager never notice that? They were so lucky to have been a part of her life and yet… they wasted their luck. Idiots!

Suddenly, her face was just an inch away from his. "Clooooooud~" she said with a childish grin. "Planet to Cloud…? Hey!"

He snapped out of his trance and chuckled. "Sorry. Are you done packing up?"

"Yes. Will you help me with the bags? I don't want to bother the innkeeper."

"Sure." Cloud strode in and took the bags that were lined up neatly on the floor. Most of her bags were made from expensive leather. There was only one bag that looked like it had been with her since sixth grade—battered and a few seams were loose.

Tifa walked towards him and took some of the bags. Their hands touched and she blushed slightly. Her skin was as soft as silk. Electricity seemed to run up from the spot where their skin met.

He loaded the bags at the back of the SUV while she paid the innkeeper and thanked her for the hospitality that the old woman had extended to her. Cloud heard every word, and he couldn't help but marvel at how polite she was.

"Alright Cloud, before we go… do you want to go sight-seeing?" she asked.

"Sight-seeing?" he repeated and looked around. There didn't seem much to look at.

Tifa rolled her eyes. "Come, I'll show you where I always went to draw."

He nodded. "Okay. Let me see your drawings later too, alright?"

"Deal."

She took his hand and dragged him away from the inn.

* * *

"Wow." It was the only way to describe what he saw. Green pastures with small dots of flowers stretched for miles before him, and there was a crystal-clear river flowing underneath the shallow cliff. "No wonder you stayed here so long. It's beautiful out here."

Tifa only smiled. "I finished my entire clothing line sketch just looking at the view."

"This place…" Cloud mumbled. "is the best place I have ever gone to."

"So far," she said with a smile.

"Yeah. So far… We better head back. It'll be dark soon. You know the promise I made with Zack."

"Before the six o'clock news comes on." Tifa took his hand again and they walked hand-in-hand back to the inn, to the SUV.

It was eight in the evening when they arrived.

"Sorry we didn't make it back before the six o'clock news." Tifa mumbled as she pulled the key out of the ignition. Cloud shrugged. "I don't mind. Zack will be working late anyway… I guess." They looked up at the lightless apartment. "Yep, he's working late tonight. Why don't we have some dinner?"

"Dinner sounds great." Tifa said. "All that driving really made me hungry."

Cloud grinned. "Now let's see what we have in the fridge."

* * *

It smelled wonderful... whatever he was cooking. Tifa sat there, reading a random magazine she had picked up. She heard him chopping and mixing. It was unusual for a man to cook, Genesis had rarely cooked when they were together. The first and last time that he attempted to cook was the time when he almost burned his hair. Though, his mother did make excellent pies.

"Hey Tifa, let's eat. The food's ready."

She turned to see that he had already set the table, as well. "You should have let me set the table, at least." she told him.

Cloud only shook his head and smiled. "No, you're my guest." Tifa sat down and looked at what he had cooked... it didn't only smell great, but also looked good.

"Wow," she mumbled.

"Go on, take a bite."

She took a spoonful, and couldn't help but smile as she chewed.

"Can you cook for me forever?" she blurted out. They laughed.

"Sure, why not?" Cloud winked.

They ate and talked again, they laughed and almost ended up crying because of it. Tifa told him how Genesis didn't know how to cook and depended mostly on take-outs and his personal chef, sometimes on his best friend. She told him how her manager and make-up artists tried really hard to get along.

"They only get along because of the money." she said, "If there isn't any money involved, they'd be killing each other with pens and make-up brushes, I tell you."

Suddenly, Cloud turned his head to face Tifa and found that her face was just an inch apart. He swallowed. She blushed. He leaned in slowly, as if in a trance. She could feel his warm breath fanning across her skin and she closed her eyes. Her heart started beating like a hummingbird.

And then they heard Zack's voice.

"Damn." they both hissed.

* * *

**Author's Note: Here it is! Thank you for reading, guys and gals! I hope you liked it. :) Don't forget to review!**


	12. Conditions

Chapter Twelve: Conditions

* * *

"I still cannot believe that Tifa Lockhart is sleeping in our apartment," Zack said as he held the cup of coffee in his hands. It was early, about six o'clock in the morning… the sun was just beginning to rise and the city was starting to wake up. Cloud finished frying the eggs and set them on a plate. "Yeah, can you believe my awesome luck?" the blonde told Zack. They chuckled and scarfed down the eggs.

"Good morning."

Cloud and Zack turned to see Tifa emerging from Cloud's room, her hair was still a mess and she still looked sleepy. "Oh, uh, good morning!" they said. She joined them at the table and Cloud made her coffee. "So… what's your plans for today?" he asked.

"I'm going to call my lawyer and have a meeting with my manager—then I'll fire him, if it's possible." Tifa said. "If I can fire him today, I'm going to start looking for a new manager."

They nodded and Zack told Tifa about Cloud's most embarrassing moments.

"I think you guys are going to be late," Tifa suddenly said as she glanced at the wall clock. It was almost eight in the moment.

Cloud laughed. "We're very late! Uh, Tifa…"

"Don't worry about me. I'll go back to my own place today, and I'll lock the door." Tifa laughed.

"Okay." Zack and Cloud said.

"Uh… Tifa?" the raven asked reluctantly.

"Yes?" she answered with a smile.

"Will we see you again?"

Tifa laughed. "Of course you'll see me! It's not like I'm going away… forever, I'm just going home. I'll visit every time I can." Zack nodded thoughtfully and said good bye. When she heard their motorcycles revving away, she walked back in Cloud's room and began packing. Her heart was heavy… it was as if she did not want to go back to her own home. She felt ridiculous.

What was up with that? She shook her head and zipped the last bag close. With one last look at Cloud's room, she smiled and locked the door behind her.

"Hello, Tifa." came a cold voice that she would know anywhere.

"Rufus!" she gasped. Standing in front of her was her old manager, dressed in his usual designer suit and signature blank expression… but his eyes told her that he was livid. He walked towards her slowly.

"Finally, you have come back." Rufus said, as he outstretched his hand. "Welcome back."

There was a feral gleam in his eyes, and he looked more dangerous to her than ever. She inched away from him. "How… how did you find me here?" Did Cloud and Zack rat her out? No, no that was impossible… aren't they friends?

"I had those two idiotic boys followed." Rufus said, "it was really bothersome. But now that you're here, we have lots of things to do." He grabbed her wrist and pulled her.

"No." Tifa said defiantly. "_I _have a lot to do, and one of those things is to fire you."

"What are you saying, Tifa?" Rufus asked disbelievingly. "You're firing me? Ha! Don't make me laugh."

"I'm serious, Rufus." She folded her arms across her chest.

He flipped her hair and shook his head. "I won't allow you."

"My contract with you is almost over, Shinra." Tifa reminded him. "I will just have to wait for it to expire and then I can sign another contract with somebody else."

His handsome face darkened and he swallowed. "If this was about the interview, Tifa, I only said those things because I was really upset with you."

"You showed me your true colors," she bit back. "You and Genesis…"

Rufus frowned and shook his head. "Did you really watch the interview… or did you just read those garbage tabloids that printed out the edited thing? I had to file ten libel cases because of that fiasco!"

Tifa looked at her feet, and blushed… felt embarrassed. She had only heard the news from Marlene… and now she was firing the very man responsible for her success? What was she thinking?

"If you want to watch the interview, come with me."

It took her a moment to consider. Somehow, she saw Rufus in a different light now. His features were all perfect, he was smart and ruthless when it came to business… and his eyes pleaded for her trust him. This sight was certainly different from the Rufus that told her that he wanted to make her the Cinderella of the entertainment business.

"Alright," she said finally.

_The talk show host sat there, smiling serenely at the camera… for the viewer… and Rufus sat on the opposite seat, wearing his mysterious mask again. "It's been almost a month after the sudden disappearance of miss Tifa Lockhart, and today, her manager, Rufus Shinra, is here to talk to us about her disappearance." _

_He smiled graciously. "Hello, miss G… viewers." _

"_So, what do you think could have made Tifa go and run off like this?"_

"_She's been talking about it for quite a while now. I've told her that it was impossible because she had so much -projects lined up for this year and she could rest for the most part of the next year—but I guess she really got tired." _

"_Tifa got tired?"_

_Rufus cleared his throat methodically. "I am sure that as a talk show host, miss G, you can relate to my ward's feelings sometimes. Having photo shoots and commercial filmings all the time would obviously exhaust anybody. And may I add that she has just finished filming a movie that time, and the emotional stress of Genesis leaving for his world tour certainly would have added up to the toll."_

"_Speaking of Genesis, he was seen with another woman—what do you think? Is the Ultimate Rockstar cheating on your ward?"_

"_I have no right to comment on such a sensitive issue but I have this to say to him… if he really is cheating on Tifa: She loves you with all your heart, but if you can't repay the love she's given you, better fuck off." His eyes were narrowed. _

"_Did she tell you when she's coming back?"_

"_Tifa didn't say anything to me in her last phone call, but I—along with her thousands of fans—hope she comes back to us soon."_

_Miss G gingerly smiled and nodded. "Isn't possible for Tifa to get bored of the glitz and glamour of the business? I mean, there are a lot of young starlets who come in with a bang and fade away…" _

"_She's not a starlet. She's Tifa Lockhart." Rufus countered. _

"_Hmm, yes, that's right. She is Tifa Lockhart—the ultimate media queen. Do you have a message for her if ever she is watching?"_

_Rufus nodded… "Certainly. Tifa, come back safe and have a good rest." _

The clip ended and Rufus was busying himself with his clipboard, all of a sudden. "I told you I never tried to ruin your image." he told her, "But after the interview aired, the other gossip talk shows showed the same interview but with edited parts. I got 600,000 gil from all the libel settlements."

Tifa's fist clenched and unclenched. This was so embarrassing.

He sat down beside her and said, "So… was I right? Did you really get tired?"

"Yes." Tifa said, "I got tired and fed up. You never listened to me."

"I never listened to you?" Rufus repeated in disbelief. "My dear… you're being foolish. Do you think that we would both be where we are now if I had not listened to your every whimsical request in the past?"

She bit her chapped lip. "Okay, you barely listened… but you still heard me. But I don't want that anymore."

"Is that the only issue?" he asked.

"No. You and Lazard, when you say that I have the afternoon off after lunch with you two, I always end up spending it discussing my next career move with you."

"But those meetings were very important, if we neglected those things… we would have not made it so far. Tell me Tifa, what will it take for you to stay under my management?"

She did not have to think long. "I want to lessen the bombshell image, I want my image to be more wholesome. I want to cancel my fashion line and restart it, because I have new ideas and I will never record a song."

"Is that all?"

"Not entirely. I have a list of demands."

Rufus sat back on his chair and laced his fingers together. "Then tell me all your demands… because I don't want to lose my number one client—my Cinderella."

There was a strain in his voice. Could it be possible that what he was telling her was true?

"I want to start over in my career… a total overhaul." Tifa said.

"And how do you want to execute that?"

"Uh…" she mumbled. "I want to be the one who decides on my projects, not you or Lazard. My opinions must always be heard. I'm giving you a trial period—a month, if my demands are not met, I'm looking for another manager, is that agreeable?"

Rufus nodded slowly. "A month?"

"Yes."

"Then I agree. If we cannot work together to meet your demands, then we will part ways."

"Then it's settled." Tifa said. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm have a lot of other things to attend to now."

"Ah, wait Tifa—about you redoing your clothing line… we need to discuss this with the manufacturer."

"Not now."

Rufus looked taken aback.

"I told you… I have a lot of things to attend to. We'll take care of that tomorrow, or next week." She walked out of the room. The door closed with a soft click. Rufus chuckled softly and reclined in the leather chair and said, "She's changed…"

* * *

Tifa drove back to her home, feeling stronger. She had just bossed around her own boss! It was the first time she had ever done such a thing and it felt good. But... she still had her doubts. She couldn't find it in herself to trust her manager completely again. As she turned her key in the door knob, a warm feeling washed over her. It felt too familiar, and memories flooded back. Everywhere she looked, she saw her and Genesis canoodling. Tifa turned around... and the memory of Cloud fighting Cid came hurdling towards her. It made her smile as she took the bags inside.

Some things were not in place, like her phone. It wasn't where she left it, but everything else was intact, right where she had left them. Pissed, she grumbled about Rufus not being able to respect her privacy. That certainly needed to change.

How was she going to break up with Genesis if her phone was with her freaking manager?

* * *

"Hey Cloud... ya think Tifa's fired her manager already?" Zack asked Cloud randomly as they waited for a customer. The blonde shrugged, "Maybe. I hope she has."

"Yeah, he was really scary."

**Author's Note: Hello dear reader! Thank you for reading. Erm~ I feel nervous. I know that this chapter would have been the obvious, Tifa firing Rufus and signing a new contract with some other manager and breaking up with Genesis... but WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH ME... WHYYYY. I couldn't bring myself to kick Rufus out. -hangs head and sighs- I also want to apologize for not updating earlier. I've really been busy, I hope you guys understand! ^^**

**Don't forget to review!**

**-Victoria**


	13. A New Era

Chapter Thirteen: A New Era

—Ꮱ. Ꮱ. Ꮱ. Ꮱ. Ꮱ. Ꮱ. Ꮱ—

Tifa called through the pizza delivery hotline. "Hey Cloud."

"Tifa?" he asked. "How… how was it?"

She let out a sigh. "I'll tell you about it later, can you come over after your shift?"

He sensed her sadness instantly. It was as if it was the easiest thing to do in this world. "Sure, yeah. I'll be there."

"Thank you." Tifa said quietly.

"No biggie," Cloud said and realized she had ended the call.

"Hey, who was that?" Zack asked, his cheek smeared with tomato sauce. Cloud only shook his head. "It was a wrong number. Hey Zack, uh, you have something on your face."

"Oh man! Thank Minerva you saw that! This would have been so totally uncool if a girl saw it." Zack wiped the smear off his face with the back of his hand. They chuckled and went back to work.

—Ꮱ. Ꮱ. Ꮱ. Ꮱ. Ꮱ. Ꮱ. Ꮱ—

It was about nine in the evening when Tifa heard soft knocks on her door. She eagerly rushed to the door and found Cloud standing there with a small smile. Suddenly, she felt shy. It was absolutely absurd.

"Hi," she said.

Cloud returned her smile with a rather mesmerizing one. "I'm here."

"Come in," Tifa invited and she pressed herself to the wall to make room for him. It was the first time she smelled his cologne—it smelled nice…no, he smelled wonderful. What was wrong with her heart? It was like she was acting like a virgin's all over again!

"So how did it go?" he asked once she had locked the door. "Did you fire him?"

Leaning heavily on the door and looking down, Tifa said, "Um, not really. I didn't fire him. I didn't get to execute my plan so well."

Cloud chuckled. "Is that so? Why didn't you fire him? Do you have legal problems?"

"No," Tifa shook her head. "It's not that."

"Then what's the catch?"

"Why… don't we sit down?" Tifa said quietly as she crossed the hallway to the living room. "That way, we can talk better."

"Okay," Cloud said passively as he followed her. Her living room was dainty—the couch was white, the floor was made of oak floorboards and potted plants grew in the corners. He sat down on the leather couch and looked at her. "Okay, now tell me why you didn't fire your manager."

Tifa sat down tentatively next to him. "I didn't have the heart to just fire him—I mean, I owe all that I have to him. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for him. And… he just showed me the original video of the interview Rufus had. Marlene did not watch this show, she watched a small show where they showed an edited version of his interview." She looked up at Cloud. "I mean… Marlene just misinformed me, that's all. Rufus turned me to Cinderella. I don't want to be an ingrate for kicking him out without solid proof."

He nodded.

"Oh, I'm sorry… I was rambling, wasn't I?" Tifa mumbled. "I tend to ramble when I feel stressed."

"Nah," Cloud said. "I don't mind if you ramble all night to me. It's kind of cute when you ramble." He chuckled and Tifa shifted her position next to him. Sitting next to him this closely, she could feel the warmth of his body. "So… basically, you feel like you just made a terrible mistake?" he asked.

Tifa nodded. "Yes," she mumbled. "It's like… I was acting on impulse, because Rufus was there—and I felt like a lamb being cornered by a wolf—something like that. Ugh, Cloud, I feel terrible." She heaved a heavy sigh and hugged her knees. "I told him that I'd give him two months to try and make everything work out, if he isn't able to comply I would really sign up with another manager."

"Hey… that was a pretty cool idea, Tifa. Don't worry too much. You and your manager are excellent in this field. If you guys weren't so good, I'm guessing you wouldn't be here." Cloud said. "What… conditions did you give Rufus anyway?"

His blue eyes bore unto hers as he waited for her to answer. The intensity of his sapphire eyes made her chest palpitate faster than usual and dried her throat. She swallowed and licked her drying lips and said, "I just told him… that I would be the one who would decide what I want to do with my career. I will be the one to choose my roles in movies and shows, my endorsements and… well, basically everything."

"Wait… so Rufus was the one behind all the things you've done?" Cloud asked.

"Yes," Tifa mumbled. "He'd let me read the manuscript of the movie and tell me that he had already confirmed with the agency. I never got a chance to put my two cents in most of the movie roles I got."

"Hmm… really." Cloud said quietly. "Hey, do you want to know what I thought about you when I first saw you on…what was that show again?" He rolled his eyes to remember. After a few moments he spoke again. "Ah! Right, when I first saw you in Rise of Day."

"I loved working in Rise of Day!" Tifa exclaimed. "It was my first major project and the staff and crew were all so nice… and well, the wardrobe department's closet was amazing. I was really shocked when they let me walk in the closet!" She laughed a little. "So… what were you saying, before I cut you off so rudely?"

Cloud hung his head and mumbled something.

"What?" she asked, puzzled. "I can't hear you."

"I thought… you were just another of those girls." Cloud said. "You now… those girls who had no shame in displaying their body in exchange for fame."

She looked at the window blankly. "A lot of people labeled me a bombshell after that and then producers started to offer more and more roles for me. I didn't really like wearing those skimpy, skin tight clothes but I just shrugged and said to myself that if I wanted to be on the top, I had to do it… so I did and here I am."

"I'm guessing that you're going to avoid wearing skin tight clothes as much as possible now, aren't you?" Cloud said. "That's kind of a stupid idea, if you ask me. You know what they say, if you've got it, flaunt it."

"I'm going to flaunt my figure but I'm not wearing those catastrophic scraps of cloth ever again. I believe that you…"

"Hey, hey, spare me the fashion speech, Tif—I'm a guy, fashion doesn't really make sense to me. For the most of us, as long as we have a shirt and a clean pair of jeans, we're set. As for you, you girls need a thousand pairs of shoes."

"True." Tifa laughed.

Suddenly the telephone rang, shattered their cozy atmosphere. "I wonder who that is." Tifa wondered as she stood up with a sigh. Could it be that Rufus had already told Genesis about her return?

"Hello?" she murmured, a part of her was nervous while another was gnawing its nails for being disrupted. "Tifa?" his voice rang out, it was warm and alluring. The sound made her freeze. "Genesis," she said curtly.

"I missed you so much, love. I couldn't reach you through your phone… How are you?" he asked, his voice dripping with syrupy love and concern. It sounded so sexy, but it wasn't working at all.

"I…I'm fine, Rufus has my cellphone. How's the tour?"

Genesis clicked his tongue. "What's with that tone, Tifa, my love? Didn't you miss me?"

"No, no… I missed you. I'm just… tired—I had a lot of meetings today." Tifa replied while her eyes wandered to Cloud, who was looking at her curiously. She heard Genesis say 'huh' in the other line, and something else, but she didn't hear him. "Tifa… are you still there?" he asked. "Tifa?" It took her a moment to snap back to the conversation. "Uh, can we talk later? It's really late here now… I'm really tired."

"Sure. Rest well, my love. I'll call you later."

"Bye." Tifa slammed the receiver down and groaned.

Cloud chuckled. "Tired, huh?"

"Tired of him," Tifa corrected. "I only had one meeting today, after all… but it's equivalent to five… or six, I think." She sat down beside him again. Cloud sighed and played with his hands. "You're dumping Genesis, too?" he asked her.

Tifa stared at the floor. "Yes. That's the plan."

"Tifa's new era is unfolding," he mumbled. She laughed and playfully punched him in the arm. "Ow, that hurt you know!" Cloud exclaimed as he rubbed his arm.

"I'm sorry." Tifa blushed. "Does it really…?"

He laughed. "Nah, it doesn't." Then he turned to look her in the eye. "But I'm pretty sure that you're really hurt inside."

"What?" she asked, trying to make it seem that she had no idea on what he was talking about. Cloud sighed heavily. "You know exactly what I'm talking about, miss superstar."

"Since when did I become miss superstar to you?"

"Since now."

"You're so random, Cloud!"

"I'm not random… well, not now, at least." he answered, then glanced at his watch. "Well whaddaya know—it's almost midnight. I better get back to the apartment… or Zack will freak out if he wakes up alone."

"Yeah, okay." Tifa smiled up at him. "Thanks for coming over."

"Anytime."

"Bye."

"See you."

"Yes… take care."

She heard the Fenrir roar to life, possibly waking up the whole neighborhood in the process, and the fading roar of his motorbike. It was weird that she suddenly felt so sad, being all alone. "I should have just made him stay." Tifa mumbled as she buried her face in her hands.

Tears fell. Damn men, she thought.

—Ꮱ. Ꮱ. Ꮱ. Ꮱ. Ꮱ. Ꮱ. Ꮱ—

The next day, Tifa woke up because of the insistent rings of the telephone. "Good morning, Tifa Lockhart speaking…" she muttered grumpily to the receiver. "Finally." Rufus replied, Tifa could almost imagine him rolling his eyes as he spoke. "Hurry up and get ready. We have to meet with XY fashion house in an hour." She sighed. "I'll be right there. We're just going to discuss the changes, right?" "Yes." "Okay. Uh and uh, Rufus, you confiscated my phone, right? Can you give it to me when I get there?" "Of course,"

When she got there, Rufus was sitting down on one of the plastic bleachers, holding a tall cup of black coffee and a folder in the other. He stood up at once. "XY fashion's management wants to meet with you and discuss the whole project again." Tifa took the folder from his hand and read the contents.

The executives sat stiffly in the high back chairs in the mahogany conference table and stood up immediately when Tifa and Rufus entered the room.

"Hello, dear Tifa, how was your… little vacation?" the woman wearing a black, long-sleeved dress and a layered pearl necklace. "We're happy to have you back."

Tifa smiled graciously. "Thank you for having me back, madam Ysabelle."

"Oh, the pleasure is all mine! Please, sit down." Ysabelle replied as Tifa and Rufus took their seats. "Your manager already told me beforehand that you plan to change your fashion line's theme."

"Yes… I do plan to restart on my line" Tifa said. "For starters, I want to change the label 'Tifa for You' to 'Heart Locker'." Ysabelle twined her fingers together and nodded, "Sounds nicer, actually. Why did you want to change the label, what's the reason?"

"I changed it to Heart Locker because I want the clothes that I'm going to release to captivate, entice and capture the hearts of the men who see the woman wearing my designs. While I was away, I thought to myself, if I was launching a line, I won't go to the tank top and shorts route. I want my line to be known not because it's made by me only, but because it makes them feel good and beautiful." Tifa said. "Also, I want to make something clear: I will not launch racy pieces."

Ysabelle raised her eyebrows. "Interesting concept, missy—you've got my attention. I like your ideas. It's high time that somebody brought back conservatism in the fashion world. Somebody like you, being the sexy superstar you are, will be quick to influence the customers in buying your designs. Well done."

Tifa nodded and smiled. "Thank you."

"Did you bring your designs?"

"Of course."

"Very good," Ysabelle said as she opened the sketch pad. "These are very good designs. Let's discuss them now."

When the meeting ended, Tifa was exhausted but happy. She had gotten her way—Rufus did not even attempt to intervene as she discussed everything with Ysabelle! He looked interested enough in what she had to say.

"How about we go and have lunch, huh?" he asked her quietly as they walked out of the building. "I have a lot of things to discuss with you."

Tifa frowned. "Actually, I'm thinking of having lunch alone with somebody... else."

"And who would this 'somebody else' be? The blonde delivery boy?" Rufus asked then shook his head.

"Yes... the blonde delivery boy." Tifa said. "I want him to be my male model for Heart Locker."

"Is that so?" Rufus said. "Huh... well I suppose he has the looks..."

Tifa smiled. "You should try eating the food in the pizza in their place... it's great."

"Why don't we give it a try now?"

"That'd be great!" Tifa smiled.

—Ꮱ. Ꮱ. Ꮱ. Ꮱ. Ꮱ. Ꮱ. Ꮱ—

**Author's Note: CLIFF HANGER! *goes bananas* Thanks for reading this update, lovely reader. How did you like this chapter? Was it any good? Was it horrible? UHH. *goes bananas again* The exams are finally over and I can finally update! :D Don't forget to review, okay?**


	14. Offer

Chapter Fourteen: Offer

* * *

The tiny pizza parlor's crews' jaw dropped the moment Tifa and Rufus walked in. As usual, the restaurant was empty, which made Rufus and his bodyguards relax. Tifa smiled and waved at Cloud. She crossed the room easily even though she was wearing the obligatory six-inch high heels for the meeting with XY fashion house. Cloud grinned at her and nodded at Rufus.

"Hey!" he greeted cheerily.

"Hi," she said breathlessly. After saying 'hi', she couldn't articulate anything else to say to him, and immediately felt awkward. She had never felt this way with Genesis.

"Uh—table for two?" Cloud asked, still smiling at her. His blue eyes glimmered like precious stones once again, she noticed, and they seemed to be asking her something.

"For three, actually." Tifa said, glancing at her manager. "Uh, can you get his bodyguards a separate table?"

"Alright," Cloud mumbled and ushered them towards a corner table. The tabletop was bare, except for the tissue dispenser and menu. Rufus sat down with a raised eyebrow and his narrowed eyes examined every spot of the restaurant. When Cloud stalked off to usher to bodyguards, Tifa giggled and whispered to Rufus, "This isn't a five-star restaurant, but the food's great."

"Tell me, Tifa, have you been eating pizzas a lot these days?"

"Um… yes. What made you ask?"

Rufus shook his head and grinned. "You never invite me to eat something with you unless you've been eating it for days in a row. I think the last one was lasagna."

Tifa grinned. "So… you noticed that, huh?"

"I must presage you; however, that pizza contains a lot of calories which may thicken your waist." Rufus cautioned. "Your 36-24-35 could disappear."

She looked up at him in shock. He knew her measurements? She had always thought that it was only Lazard who kept track of her bust-waist-hip measurements since he was the stylist. Speaking of Lazard, she hadn't heard from him since her return.

"Oh, don't worry about my measurements, Rufus." Tifa said, waving her manicured hand carelessly. Cloud walked back towards them, holding a notepad and pen. "Are you ready to order?" he asked.

"We'll have the usual, Cloud, thanks." Tifa answered him. Cloud nodded and stalked off to the kitchen.

"Your friend would look completely normal next to the professional models in your line's campaigns, you know, Tifa." Rufus said quietly, his eyes following Cloud's retreating figure. "I'll give it to him that he has the boy-next-door look, but other than that, I don't see anything else."

Tifa rolled her eyes at her manager and said, "There aren't going to be other models for my campaigns. It's just going to be me and him… if he agrees, that is."

"You've already gotten everything planned out for Heart Locker, huh?" Rufus mused. "That's good, that way, I don't have to think much for it. You never seemed to be into it the first time."

"Of course I wasn't. You were pushing right in my face the first time!"

Rufus chuckled. "I see. Before you left, we had already enlisted Aerith Gainsborough to model some of your designs."

"Aerith?" Tifa repeated. "The girl Sephiroth's been courting for months?"

"Yes."

"Has she answered him yet?"

Rufus chuckled quietly once again and shook his head. "She's still single, as far as I'm concerned. Unbelievable, isn't it?"

"Yeah."

The kitchen doors opened and Cloud emerged, followed by Zack. Both of them were balancing pizzas on a tray, and Tifa could tell that Zack was trying his best to ignore Rufus. "Here you go, enjoy the pizza." Cloud said with a small smile.

"Why don't you take a seat, Cloud?" Rufus suddenly said, freezing Cloud. The blonde stared at Tifa and Rufus then said, "I'm sorry, sir. I'm not allowed to—"

"Oh, come on, we have a little offer for you."

Cloud glanced at Zack, and sighed. "What is it?" He didn't sit down.

"You know what, Rufus? I'll tell him later," Tifa suddenly said. "Walls have ears, you know."

"Very well…" Rufus answered somberly and sliced a piece of pizza for himself. Cloud gave her a puzzled look which she answered with a coy smile. The phone rang and he excused himself.

—Ꮱ. Ꮱ. Ꮱ. Ꮱ. Ꮱ. Ꮱ. Ꮱ—

"I can't possibly go on a dinner date tonight with this stain on my suit!" Rufus groaned as they made their way out of the restaurant. Tifa laughed quietly, which was rewarded with a glare.

"Who are you going out with?" she asked. Ever since he took her under his wing, Tifa never saw Rufus get intimate with another woman… not that he ever treated her that way at all. He was always so suave, so professional towards everybody. She began what he was like… as a lover. Rufus wasn't a monster-control freak around his special someone, right?

"Nobody you should worry your pretty little head about." Rufus answered as the driver opened the car door.

Tifa shrugged. "Huh."

—Ꮱ. Ꮱ. Ꮱ. Ꮱ. Ꮱ. Ꮱ. Ꮱ—

It was six o'clock in the evening, and she was sitting alone in her room, staring at the picture frames lined up at the desk. All of them were encased in gold frames, to match Genesis' liking. The picture that she couldn't stop looking at was their very first picture—when they first met at the Entertainment Society Awards show, she was just a breakout artist then and Rufus had granted her the chance to meet him. She felt like she was going to melt right there, but Genesis smiled graciously and spoke kindly to her… then he got her number and everything was history.

Tifa sighed and played with a strand of her hair. Everyday had been magical with him, but now, the spell has been broken and she had to break free. She was sure that he already knew that, which is why he wasn't calling. This is starting to get pathetic, she thought.

Her phone rang, but it was Cloud, so she smiled.

"Hey!" Tifa said. "What's up?"

"Hey… uh, I was wondering whether you'd tell me what you were gonna offer me this afternoon." Cloud said through the other end. He sounded half-nervous.

"Oh that? I was going to ask you whether you'd like to be a model in my fashion line…"

"Uh… can you repeat that? I didn't quite catch it."

Tifa laughed, suddenly feeling nervous herself. "I'm asking you to be a model for Heart Locker."

"Heart Locker?"

"My fashion line."

"Oh, uh, um…"

"Please?"

"I'm a normal average looking guy who delivers pizza, Tifa, not a model."

"Trust me, you're not a normal, average looking guy. If you agree, you're going to be my exclusive model alongside Aerith and myself."

"Aerith?"

"Gainsborough."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah."

"Can I think about it?" Cloud said.

"Of course. Where are you?"

"Home."

"Ah, I'll come over tomorrow at the restaurant for your answer…"

"Okay, bye."

"Bye."

—Ꮱ. Ꮱ. Ꮱ. Ꮱ. Ꮱ. Ꮱ. Ꮱ—

"What do you intend to tell Tifa?" she asked him as they sat in the bar. Her red hair cascaded down her shoulders, creating a curtain between them. He could still see the glimmers of her diamond earrings. "She's bound to find out about our little night out."

"She won't ask because she trusts me that much." Genesis said quietly, watching the scotch dance in the light. "Now I sound like a villain. This is the end for us. It was fun while it lasted, but she's the one I love."

"I understand that." Cissnei said, she looked up at the ceiling then at him. "She's really lucky… I hope it's not too late. Your girlfriend's really sensitive, from what I've seen. If she ever breaks up with you, I'll be waiting for you."

Genesis stood up and glanced at her one last time. "See you."

"Yeah, sure." Cissnei replied somberly.

The girl did not clearly like to be the other woman, but took the role anyway. It was a very far cry from her sickly sweet act in front of the lenses. He pitied her.

Angeal was standing at the doorway, his arms were crossed and his face was set in a deep, thoughtful expression. "You know, you've got fidelity problems. She's the fifth girl since the tour kicked off."

Genesis shrugged. "I'm a man, Angeal, I can't deny my carnal desires. I'm sure that you can understand what I mean."

His friend scoffed. "I beg to differ. My wife's the only woman I want next to me in bed."

"It must really be boring to be you then, my friend."

"Not really."

Genesis rolled his eyes.

"What if your Tifa finds out about your mischiefs?"

"I bet she already knows about this scandal that's why she's not calling."

"And you're not going to do anything about it?"

"She can't let go of me," Genesis answered smugly. "I'm the ultimate man."

Angeal shook his head and said, "You and your ego, Genesis." The vocalist simply sauntered inside the hotel room to rest.

—Ꮱ. Ꮱ. Ꮱ. Ꮱ. Ꮱ. Ꮱ. Ꮱ—

Be a model for her upcoming line, huh? Cloud thought as he looked up at the star studded night sky. That wouldn't be so hard, right? He was just going to pose and have an unreadable expression all day, right? But what if... he falls more in love with her if he agrees?

—Ꮱ. Ꮱ. Ꮱ. Ꮱ. Ꮱ. Ꮱ. Ꮱ—

**Author's Note: Hey! Hey! Agh! You and your ego, Genesis. . You're not the ultimate man! :o Tell me how feel about this update in your Review, okay? Thank you to those who reviewed on the last chapter! You guys RAWKKKK! :D Happy Halloween? -screw timelines-**

**Trivia: If you have read my other fics, you'll notice that this is the second time that I've used Aerith. But she didn't have a major role in her first appearance. Hurray for Aerith! :D **


	15. Endings and Beginnings

Chapter Fifteen: Endings and Beginnings

* * *

"All the talk shows are clamoring for your appearance in their show," Rufus told her as Tifa compared fabrics for her designs. "Aren't you planning on making a public appearance soon? This could lessen your popularity."

"Hmm… yes, that's true, but I don't want to bother with those troublesome talk shows right now, I'm busy with Heart Locker." she replied.

"So in other words, you're not going to confirm to the public that you are back, despite the tabloid articles surfacing?"

"Don't you think that an exclusive tell-all interview with some magazine will yield more profit?" she muttered. "Rufus, what do you think? Should this gown be made with silk and lace?"

Her manager shook his head and said, "You should ask Lazard that, not me."

"Alright."

"Did your friend give his answer already? XY's already finished with the men's casual wear."

She examined the material in her hand. It felt like water riveting in her palm. "Not yet, but I hope he's already got an answer when I pay him a visit later."

"I see." Rufus said quietly. "Genesis called me last night."

"Oh? What'd he say?"

"He was asking about you—what are you up to these days. Aren't you calling him?"

Tifa placed the cloth samples on the table and faced Rufus. "Genesis and I… I think our relationship's falling apart." The blonde frowned at her. "Is that so? I'm not surprised—I was expecting this since those scandals came out." She crumpled the silk slightly. "I'm just wondering why you haven't done it yet."

"I…are there any magazines on the waiting list?"

"Yes. All of them are in the list, actually. Would you like to see the list?"

Tifa nodded and Rufus took out his planner.

_METRO magazine  
Hardy Couture  
SUPERSTAR  
Rock Out! Magazine  
Midgar Vogue  
Total Girl  
SEVENTEEN  
Eye Candy magazine  
OK!  
Esquire Magazine  
The Midgar Tatler  
Cosmopolitan magazine  
TIME_

"TIME's actually interested in me?" she asked in disbelief. "I'm not a global leader or something." Rufus chuckled and nodded. "You're considered an icon." "Really? Of what?" Her manager chuckled. "You're a sex symbol."

"…I intend to remove that title on my name." TIfa told him. "Or at least, tone it down." He gave her a sharp, assessing look and shook his head. "You can't remove a title. But you can change it."

She nodded then her phone rang. The caller ID sent her frowning—Genesis. "I'll be in my car, Rufus." she said as she took her phone. Reluctantly, she accepted the call. "…Hello?"

"Tifa?"

"It's me. How are you?"

"Fine—how about you?"

I can't do this, she thought. I don't want to keep holding on anymore. I'm letting you go. "Listen… Genesis… I have something to tell you."

There was a slight pause on his end. "What is it?"

"…I'm breaking up with you." Tifa said. The moment she let the words slip out of her mouth, she felt like an arrow hit her on her heart. Tears started to fall.

"I'm sorry? Love, can you repeat that? I didn't quite catch it." Genesis said. It was not shaking, it sounded as if he were amused. Or disbelieving.

"I'm telling you that I'm breaking up with you." she repeated.

"What? You're not serious, are you?"

"I'm serious."

Genesis breathed in deep. "Is this because of Cissnei? Tifa, love, we just met in the bar and had a few drinks. I offered to drive her back to her hotel. Don't you have faith in me?"

"Quit it, Genesis." Tifa snapped. "I had faith in you—I trusted you, but you just threw those away. I guess it's a huge blow to your ego, isn't it?"

"…You're making the biggest mistake of your life, my lovely one."

"Stop calling me your lame pet names. I'm tired of hearing them. And, I am one-hundred percent sure that I am making the best choice of my life right now. Also, don't worry, the bracelet you bought me will come back to you."

"I don't want it back anymore. I had it made for you. Keep it." _Beep. _

So that's it, she thought. Three years down the drain. Tifa blinked her eyes furiously, trying to make the tears stop from falling, but to no avail. It shouldn't hurt so much, hadn't she prepared herself for this? Why did it still hurt so much?

_Tap, tap. _

Through her teary eyes, she saw his spiky, gravity-defying blonde hair. Tifa wiped the tears away with the back of her hand and rolled down the window. "Hey Cloud." She was half hoping that she didn't look so horrible. She hoped that he wouldn't notice that she had been crying.

"What's wrong, Tifa? You look like you've been crying." Cloud said, his blue eyes boring unto hers.

Dang.

She tried to laugh. "I… I broke up with… I broke up with Genesis, Cloud." Even though she tried to stop it, she sobbed anyway. The next thing that she knew, the car door was open and he was embracing her. "Ssh, it's alright, you know."

An hour must have passed, but she only cried on his chest, staining his shirt with her tears. He did not speak, he just let her cry on his chest. It was probably embarrassing, but she felt comfortable with him…which was odd.

Tifa pulled away from him and wiped her tear-stained cheeks shakily. "I'm sorry Cloud, I've ruined your shirt."

"Don't worry about my shirt, I'll probably frame it when I get home." Cloud replied, with a grin. He mussed her hair and said, "You can cry on my shoulder, er in this case, on my chest, anytime."

Tifa couldn't tell whether she had blushed or not, since her face was already hot from crying. If she did blush, well, that was so schoolgirl-y! "Thanks Cloud."

"No problem."

"Ah… Cloud… why are you here?"

"Finally, you asked." Cloud said, smiling lazily. "I'm accepting your offer."

"Really?" Tifa asked in disbelief. "That's… that's great, Cloud! Thank you!" She embraced him without thinking. "Oh… I'm sorry… I shouldn't have—"

"No it's alright. I bet you don't want your manager to see your puffy face right now, am I right? Wait for me here."

As she watched him walk away, Tifa couldn't help but wonder why she felt so warm inside when he was around. She couldn't already be in love right after breaking up with Genesis, could she? Whatever.

Cloud came back with a bottle of cold orange juice a few minutes later. "Here you go."

"Thank you." Tifa took a swig and smiled a little. "Hey Cloud, let's drive away from here a little bit. Let's go to the park or something."

"Uh, sure."

* * *

"She broke up with me…. She actually broke up with me!" Genesis shouted at Angeal, who was sitting on the couch, trying to ignore his best friend's rant. "I don't believe this!" The red head threw himself next to Angeal.

"Well Tifa isn't really a dumb kitten, like you take her for. Girl's like a vixen… or a tiger, whichever. Once she finds out that you've been betraying her, she'll snap at you." Angeal said calmly. "As a friend, Gene, it's really fundamental that you learn the importance of fidelity."

"Oh goddess, here comes his speech." Genesis groaned.

Angeal shook his head. "I know you hate how I lecture you about these things as if you are a mere child, my friend, but I'm just concerned. Didn't your beloved poetry book teach you anything at all?" They looked at the book laying on the glass tabletop. "I think I remember a passage that's just like Tifa and you." He took the book, opened it and scanned. "Here it is. Read it, Genesis."

"What act is that?"

"The final act,"

"Ah. I've memorized that, my friend, however I do not see how it relates to me and that bitch. She promised to wait, to be loyal…"

"Whereas you did too, but the moment the plane was up in the air, you were flirting with the stewardess."

Genesis frowned and snatched his book away from Angeal's hand.

* * *

Author's Note:

_"Do you really have to leave?"_  
_"I promised. The people I love, are waiting."_  
_"...I don't understand. Not at all. But...please take care of yourself."_  
_"Of course...I'll come back to you. Even if you don't promise to wait. I'll return knowing you'll be here."_

Thank you for reading! I hope you liked what you have just read. I must apologize in advance if Tifa and Genesis' break-up moment was sort of lame, you see, I'm not really sure how things go since I'm still single (boo hoo hahaha!) … Oh, and if you happen to be curious about the bracelet, there's a link of a visual in my profile page. Please do not forget to review this chapter!

Victoria Chrystallis \m/


	16. Headaches and Halos

Chapter Sixteen: Headaches and Halos

* * *

"Tifa? Tifa?" Cloud's drowsy voice called out. She stirred slightly, as if she did not want to be disturbed then opened one of her eyes tentatively. "Good morning…" Tifa said quietly as she took in the things around her. Beside her, Cloud was sitting up, his hair was slightly messed up, so he looked boyish. It made her smile lazily. The way that the sunlight hit his blonde hair created the effect of a halo. "Morning…" he replied.

They stared at each other for another minute, or two—neither was aware of the exact time, yet. All they knew was that they had fallen asleep inside her car last night and the sun had already risen. Last night, they drove out to the outskirts of Midgar and talked underneath the stars until they were too heavy-eyed to drive back to the city…to their rightful places. It was like a scene from a sickly-romantic movie, as it was almost common. But no sickly-romantic movie could compare to what Tifa felt as they talked last night.

Her thoughts were cut short by the annoying ring of her cellphone. With a groan, she took it out of her bag and answered. Cloud mumbled something about having to go before getting out of the car. "Hello Rufus?" she said.

"Tifa! Finally!" Rufus said, his voice harbored a relieved tone, accompanied by his usual business tone. "I've been trying to call you since last night. You didn't return to the studio after you answered your phone call. Where are you? Are you alright?"

"Um… Genesis was the one who called last night, and I broke up with him, then Cloud came and we drove off. I'm sorry for not being able to inform you."

There was a heavy sigh on her manager's end. "Oh—I see. Huh, well that certainly is odd. There hasn't been anything about your break up in TMX and Insider so far… I think that's good. Anyway… where are you and Cloud?"

"Somewhere outside Midgar Edge," she answered.

"Ah, do you think that you can make it back here in the studio before nine? We're meeting up with advertisers and the sample clothes are coming before lunch, too. If the meeting with the advertisers doesn't take too long, we may meet with the models."

"Whoa, whoa, slow down Rufus, I just woke up!"

"Sorry. So? Can you make it back here before nine? You've got an hour and a half." Rufus amended. He wasn't really used to apologizing, and hearing him hear the word had Tifa grinning. It was so odd.

Cloud was walking back to the car now, yawning widely without a care.

"Uh… sure, I can. I've got really good news for you too, Rufus."

"What is it?"

"Cloud agreed!"

"That's great news indeed. I'll have his binding contract ready when you arrive here."

"Okay… oh and Rufus?"

"Yes?"

"Can you have breakfast ready when I… er, we, get there? Anything's fine."

"Of course."

_Click._

"Hey Cloud, would it be alright if we head to my house? I think I have a spare tooth brush there anyway." Tifa said as he climbed back in. He gave her a puzzled look. "Rufus called, I have to meet with advertisers at nine. I'm so sorry!"

Her apology was shrugged off by Cloud. "Nah, don't sweat it, Tifa. It's okay."

"Thanks,"

* * *

He could hear her blow drying her hair in her room as he changed into the clothes she gave him. These were probably Genesis' clothes, he thought as he walked around her living. Of course, it was furnished with expensive and imported fixtures. Heck, the carpet was the softest carpet he had ever stepped on! There was a shelf displaying all her awards, pictures and magazines. She seemed to not buy magazines with her as the cover girl. Weird, he mused, most celebrities have every single magazine put in a frame. Potted plants were placed in every corner of her home.

"Did the clothes fit?" Tifa asked as she joined him in the living room. She had changed into a loose gray shirt with tiger print, distressed jeans of the same color and red Dr. Martens boots. "Yep, they do… you don't have to return them anymore after today. Let's go."

How could he possibly act with her sex appeal oozing out effortlessly? All he wanted was to take her in his arms and kiss her. Cloud frowned and followed her out, with great effort. Memories of the previous night flashed back in his mind as she turned on the car. Her tears, her quivering voice, her laughter, her smile… those things were enough to turn his knees to jelly. Moreover, she looked so angelic in her sleep. Damn it, he was falling hard for her!

* * *

Rufus met them outside the studio, with his arms folded across his chest. "You're ten minutes late." he scolded.

"The traffic was horrible!" Tifa reasoned.

He waved a careless hand gracefully before turning away. "Yes, yes. Bartholomew Cubbins and his team are already waiting in the conference room, Tifa. Cloud, you have to come with me." Cloud and Tifa exchanged exasperated looks and shrugged haplessly, and then they grinned at each other.

* * *

Inside the conference room, Tifa felt quite uneasy not having Cloud there. It was like high school all over again, with Cloud being her missing-in-action friend. Or… was he really just her 'friend'? She blushed. He had looked so hot in Genesis's clothes.

"Tifa?" Bart said as he looked at her. "What do you think?"

She shook her head. "I'm sorry. Can you repeat that?"

"Of course." he told her, his lips thin. Bart Cubbins was the best advertiser in the Planet because his ideas were always unique… always surprising, so interesting. She had known him for several years now.

"Since your line's name is Heart Locker, I'm thinking about couples. The anticipation for your line is already heavy, Tifa, I think that it is best if we reveal the first ad campaign with you, but your identity should not be revealed to tease the public."

"Hmm… why not just have a completely unknown model for the reveal, and then my picture would be the last to be revealed…" Tifa mumbled. "Why don't we add a billboard everyday? Like… a countdown thing."

Bart nodded. "That will be interesting. I'm thinking of shooting everywhere in the city—in the park, the public library, you get the point, don't you? It'll give your line an edge."

"In what way?" she asked.

"Adverts influence customers. If they see that your clothes are actually wearable and your models doing completely normal things they do, they'll want to check it out and get something for themselves. Aren't you getting tired of those stoic looking models with no background whatsoever?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Yep, that's definitely better." And they continued to talk about the venues.

* * *

It was noon by the time the meeting ended, and Tifa was starving. "Where's Cloud?" she asked Rufus as they walked out of the conference room. "He's with the other models. I think their workshop isn't over yet. Why don't we eat lunch first before meeting the models?"

She only nodded.

* * *

There were twenty models in attendance by the time Tifa and Rufus, accompanied by Lazard, who showed up at lunch, arrived. All of them were having friendly conversations, and Cloud was surrounded by a huge crowd of ladies. Tifa scowled. "Ah! Tifa!" he called out, "Excuse me, ladies." He walked towards her with a huge goofy grin. "Hey," Tifa said, returning his smile. Without thinking, she embraced him. "Did you eat lunch already?"

Cloud scratched the back of his head. "Not really, but I'll eat later. The workshop's awesome!"

"Really," she muttered. Rufus coughed, making her aware that the other models were still looking on and that she hadn't let go of him yet. Tifa blushed slightly. Some of the models were scowling as well.

"Looks like Cloud isn't gonna be single for long," somebody whispered. "I thought she was with Genesis?" "Ssh!"

"Hello, everyone." Tifa said once she had regained her composure. Cloud stood beside her.

"Hello Tifa," the models replied. They all sounded tired. She wondered if Cloud was tired too.

"As you all know, we will be working together for my new fashion line, Heart Locker. I hope that we will all be able to work together happily." she said, the models nodded in reply. What were these models? Humanoids devoid of normal person convos? Or were they just starstruck? Perhaps they were simply trying to be professionally attentive? Whatever—she did not like their aura. "We will be starting the campaign shoot tomorrow morning, Mr. Cubbins will be briefing you on the details."

* * *

A blonde model approached Cloud as they were filing out of the room. "Hey Cloud, let's have coffee sometime, okay?" Tifa gave her one look and the model scurried away without another backward glance. "They seem to like you a lot," she said with a strained voice, and a small smile. "Haha, yeah, they do. They can't believe that it's my first time in a workshop." Cloud told her. "They told me that they thought I was a French model. Do I look French?" he joked.

"Hmm, well, in a way, you do." she answered.

* * *

**Author's Note: Ookay, after a long while here it is. Thank you for reading! Oooh Tifa's getting possessive, haha! :D**

Victoria Chrystallis \m/


	17. Agreement

Chapter Seventeen: Agreement

* * *

The press had blown it all out of proportion, Tifa thought with chagrin. The news of her break up with Genesis came out sometime last night, while she getting some much deserved sleep. She woke up to morning TV shows having it as their headline showbiz story—hell, they were even trying to contact Rufus for a comment and Genesis for an interview. However, neither of them was calling back the show, causing the hosts to get a little bit embarrassed and annoyed.

As she sipped on her coffee, she wondered who the loose-lipped source was. It couldn't be from her camp, since her two-month agreement with Rufus wasn't over yet. He was still agitated by it, she could tell. The rang, it was Rufus.

"Tifa." he said curtly.

"I know… it's a media field day. Damn… my come back's sort of ruined now."

"On contrary, Cherie, the anticipation for your return to the spot light is louder now. Everybody's restless to see you and hear your side of the story."

"Really." Tifa said with a flat tone. Of course the public would be clamoring for a juicy detail about their 'sudden' break-up. They had been together for so long! "It'll make my tell-all interview sell more, don't you think?"

Her manager chuckled a little before agreeing. "At this rate, the sales figures will triple."

"Yep…"

"Tifa?"

"Yes?"

"Where are you?"

"At home…why?"

There was a lingering silence before Rufus spoke again. "Can you hurry over here right now? Cubbins has another idea for Heart Locker."

"Alright." Tifa said and ended the call. She abandoned her coffee to change into more suitable clothes—a shirt and a clean pair of jeans. Cloud was going to attend another workshop session. The mere thought made her grit her teeth. Those other models were going to try to hook up with him again. Not that she should care if he got a girlfriend now… really. The tiny voice in her head said otherwise, and so did her chaotic heart.

Then it struck her. She could get Cloud away from them, and finally get rid of that particular blonde who'd given him her number yesterday. Tifa giggled as she started the car.

* * *

"I only want to have brunette models for my campaigns." she told Bart's team as soon as she entered the conference room. His entire team stared at her through narrowed lids, as they held their cups of latte. All of them obviously had to get up before the sun rose.

"It's a good thing I'm a brunette then!" a perky voice piped up.

Tifa found the owner of the voice easily. Nobody could ever mistake her bubbly, soprano voice for another person's. "Aerith!" she exclaimed as her eyes settled on the brunette sitting at the edge of the table, wearing a pink spaghetti strap dress matched with a funky blue belt, layers of silver bangles and brown flats.

"Hello Tifa… it's good to see you again after so long!" Aerith said as she stood up to hug Tifa a sisterly hug. Their little moment soon faded as soon as Tifa took her seat beside Ysabelle, the owner of XY fashion house. They would have to continue their chit chat after the meeting. Both women placed their business faces back on.

"Why did you suddenly decide that, Tifa?" Bart asked her.

"Because brunette is sexy." she replied huskily and with a wink. The conference erupted in laughter, which then quieted down. Everybody clearly agreed with her. "However, I'm only going to retain a certain blonde gentleman. I asked him personally to join my campaign. He'll be a hit with the ladies." All the people nodded. Aerith squirmed in her seat whispering "Oooh, I'd like to meet him!"

"Ah, wonderful, darling, wonderful! Coco Chanel once said that brunettes do it better. Well played, Tifa!" Ysabelle said with a huge, million-watt smile. Bart nodded and turned to his team. "You heard her! Sort out the non-brunettes and tell them go home!"

Good bye, blondie whatever your name is. Tifa thought with satisfaction. She had a feeling that the laid-off models would think she was nasty now. Honestly, the way Bart had ordered it sounded really harsh. But that was how he rolled; she couldn't do anything about it. Tifa bit her lip.

"Anyway, that aside," Bart began once some of his staff had left to bring the sad news to the non-brunette models. "I suddenly got the idea last night. Why don't we," he paused dramatically for an effect, Tifa didn't see how it worked. "have a commercial. But! It won't be just like any commercial, it will be a mini-series, where the viewers have to wait for a certain date to see the next episode."

His idea was purely brilliant, she had to give him that. Nobody in the business had ever thought of doing that before. This was the reason why Bart was the best. Tifa shook her head minutely and saw that Bart had already stood up to present his proposal's story.

* * *

Tifa walked inside the workshop room to find Zack being harassed by Lazard. The raven was trying to futilely get away from her stylist's praises and sharp style comments—"Your shirt's not doing your body any justice at all, young man!" "Get away from me! I was just going to talk to Cloud!"—their little commotion attracted Aerith to peek inside as well.

Watching Zack try to escape from Lazard amused Tifa, and made her feel sorry for him, whereas Aerith only started to giggle like a child. Her laughter caused the two to freeze and look over.

"Whoa. Aerith Gainsborough!" Zack yelped as he looked on with wide eyes.

She walked, more like danced, her way to him. "Hello. Are you a model here?" she asked. Aerith leaned towards him innocently, almost bashfully too.

From the distance, Tifa was not sure whether Zack was swallowing to moisten his dry throat or that his mind had drifted away to heaven. Lazard was signaling Rufus to prepare a binding contract, and she found the way they communicated weird.

The duo continued to talk quietly. As if they were on their own little world. Cloud was suddenly by Tifa's side. "Hey." he said making her look up. "Hi," was all she managed to say. Cloud looked immaculate. "Uh—what happened to your face?" she muttered, flustered.

"Your stylist had fun with us, the survivors." Cloud whispered. "Do I look horrendous now?" he asked wearily. His eyes sparkled like sapphires with the eyeliner. But eyeliner was more like Genesis' thing, so she couldn't really appreciate it even though she wanted to.

"No…" she said. "You look hot."

"Really?" Cloud said, with one eyebrow raised.

"Yep," Tifa replied. _You're so hot I wanna kiss you right now. More than kiss you. I want to make you mine_. She was going to have to eat her own words now. She didn't want Cloud to become somebody else's significant other. She wanted to be his special someone. As she peeked at him through her lashes, her pulse raced. Heat leached from her neck to her cheeks when he looked at her straight in the eye.

"Hey Tifa, wanna grab a bite?" he asked while scratching the back of his head. "The call time was so early I only had time to take a shower and drink coffee this morning."

"Sure… let's go. Why don't we call Zack and Aerith to tag along?" They turned their heads towards the direction of Zack and Aerith who were now animatedly talking about her favorite flower—pink roses. "Nah." They said at the same time and they laughed. "Lazard, we're going to eat for a bit. We'll leave those two in your care."

"Sure, doll!"

Cloud turned to her with a small grin. "I know this great place where they serve breakfast food." He took her hand without waiting for an answer. It was not like she didn't find his hand encasing hers uncomfortable... she felt really warm inside as they walked out of the building.

He ordered a plate of bacon and eggs for the both them. Tifa placed her head on her palm and stared at him. "Hey Tifa... is anything wrong?"

"No." she replied. "Hey Cloud... can we have an agreement?"

"What agreement?"

"It will only apply to the both of us alright?"

"Uh okay."

"From this day forward, the both of us will not enter any romantic relationships with anyone." Tifa told him.

_But I want to become yours_, Cloud thought. "Okay, that's fine by me."

* * *

**Author's Note: **I know, I know, this chapter's title sucks lollipops because it's so cliché. I'm sorry for that. Before I ramble out my thoughts on my update, I would first like to acknowledge each and every one of you who have reviewed, listed my story as their favorite and have put it on their story alert list as well. If it weren't for you guys, my fic wouldn't have reached 14, 574 hits! I love you all!

I'd like to ask for your ideas on how Bart's commercial series should go. Let me see them in your reviews! …I have a feeling that this update's too short. ;p

Big whoop for ZAerith?

Love and rock n' roll always!  
Victoria Chrystallis


	18. Fitting

Chapter Eighteen: Fitting

* * *

As Cloud tried to render their instructor's pose directions, he thought about Tifa's odd deal. Why had she made him agree to her terms? What was the reason behind it? Why did they suddenly fire all the blonde models and kept only the brunettes?

"Cloud! You're not focusing! You look awkward! Focus!"

He looked up to meet his instructor's frustrated, perfectly maintained face. "I'm sorry, Jean."

"Ah, this is why I don't like having models that only get here because of connections." The instructor sighed as he turned away. "The shoot's going to begin tomorrow, so everybody please do your best!"

"Yes Jean!" everybody chorused. Cloud didn't join the enthusiastic crowd. He was too annoyed with what the instructor said. The crowd of graceful swans broke away as they were given a break. Cloud sat down on the floor and heaved a sigh as well. Tomorrow, the campaign shoots were going to begin. The location and the call time were yet to be announced. Zack sat beside him and sighed heavily. "This is so tiresome…but it still beats getting prank calls from morons."

"Yeah, you got that right." the blonde chuckled.

"I wonder what Aerith's doing right now. She'll be here later, won't she?"

Cloud punched his friend playfully in the arm. "Looks like you've got a little crush on her, eh, Zack?"

"What?"

"Forget it man, I heard Sephiroth's making a move on her. You've got no chances against that guy."

Zack rolled his cerulean eyes and shook his head. "There's nothing bad on hoping, right?" He stood up and looked down at Cloud. "Aren't you in the same predicament as me?"

"What do you mean?

"You like Tifa."

"Of course I do. Everybody here does."

"That's not what I meant, you idiot." Zack said flatly.

With a sigh, Cloud just looked at the floor.

Tifa sat opposite Ysabelle, Bart and Rufus in the conference room. They were polishing ever last detail of the commercial shoot for tomorrow.

"The commercial is going to begin with Tifa and Aerith in a corner of a coffee shop, and you r partner, Cloud will be there with Zack and a few other models. He sees you, and gets attracted to you instantly. You will be absorbed in reading a book, and will not notice him. When they leave, Tifa will leave an article of herr clothing on the chair's back, he will pick it up, and chases her. But he doesn't find Tifa. The first commercial's going to end with Cloud staring at your garment in his hand." Bart said.

Ysabelle raised an eyebrow. "And how about the other models?"

"The other models are going to be the people inside the shop." Bart turned his head towards Tifa. "What do you think, Tifa?"

She nodded. "It's alright."

Ysabelle clapped her hand and said, "Then! It's time to choose the first articles of clothing you'll be revealing tomorrow." Taking it as their signal, the party got up from their seats to head to the showroom. Hundreds of mannequins were placed inside the showroom, each wearing the reality of Tifa imaginations. It was her second time to see her designs turned into tangible items, and it still amazed her how she had been the one behind them all.

"I think the models should be called in for a fitting," Tifa said as she examined a pink trench coat with stud embellishments at the cuffs. "Aerith loves pink, doesn't she?" she asked her group. Lazard looked at the coat and shook his head. "I don't think that a trench coat is appropriate for an indoor scene, love. It's far too dressy. Think casual." He walked over to a mannequin wearing a pink crumpet cardigan. "I think, you can leave the styling to me, dear girl."

Tifa shook her head. "Hmm, then I'll get bored." She moved on to the next row of mannequins. "Hey Bart… what if we feature cardigans, long tees and leggings in this first commercial?"

"How do you plan to do it?" Bart asked from across the room.

"In every model, there will be a certain key piece that will catch the eye of the audience. Like, that pink crumpet cardigan—I think it should be paired with gray and black, with studded flats." she answered.

"And the boys' line?" Lazard echoed.

"Checkered button-down shirts against neutral colored jackets and jeans..." Tifa answered. "But Zack and Cloud will be wearing a different set of articles, just to make them stand out."

They stripped off a hundred articles of clothing for hours.

"I never thought that the day that I would be so proud of you would come, honestly, doll." Lazard said. "But today is that day! You've done so well with your designs. I mean… your cardigans, they're just adorable! Those little heart buttons are going to be a hit with the ladies, and don't get me started with the men's wear."

"Thank you." Tifa said as she looked at her stylist. He had never looked this enthusiastic in the past, and she liked him when he was carefree.

"You and Aerith ought to be wearing dresses, while the other girls are wearing pants. It'll make you stand out more."

"Hmm," Tifa said. "We'll see. Isn't Aerith coming yet? Why isn't she here?"

"She's shooting a campaign this morning." Lazard said. "Ooh… I think we're going to have a little glitch in the make-up department. You're the face of Chrysalis Cosmetics, and she's the face of the rival company."

Tifa frowned. "Does the make-up even have to matter? She can use her company's cosmetic and the rest will use Chrysalis. Where are the models? They're five minutes late!"

"Relax, sweetheart, they're on their way. They don't fly."

"Right… Sorry. I guess it's taking a toll on me, huh?"

"It sure is. Why don't you outside to get some fresh air? I can handle the models from here."

"Alright. Thank you." she said, smiling at her stylist.

The sun was high up the sky when Tifa emerged from the studio. She took in a deep breath, and closed her eyes. She should go back to Kalm pretty soon… but things were too hectic to make time for it. Her concrete surroundings steadied her balance as she opened her eyes. Suddenly, there were people screaming her name.

"Tifa! Over here! Look here! Tifa!"

"Oy! Tifa!"

"Look here!"

"Hey!"

_Oh Minerva_. _Do these paparazzi keep hounds to track me down? At this rate, it will be impossible to shoot outdoors! _Tifa thought. _Aren't they supposed to be circling around Reno..? He loves attention. They aren't even supposed to know where I am!_

Security personnel quickly attended to the nosy papz—but of course, the security personnel would never be able to drive them away for good until they got snapshots of Tifa. They'd camp out near XY's studio if they needed to.

Feeling more stressed than she would have liked, Tifa marched back inside the studio to find the models fitting the clothes already. Lazard had made Cloud wear a beige long-sleeved shirt, chocolate brown pants, sneakers and an ocher cardigan with brass buttons. Zack on the other hand, was wearing a gray cardigan with big, black buttons and black jeans.

"Hey beautiful." Cloud said as he looked up at her.

"Hey…you like very nice." Tifa said, feeling her heart skip a beat. _No, my heart, I need to focus on the job. _

Lazard sighed dramatically. "Oh, these boys are too sexy for words. Can I keep them!"

"Er…"

"I'm just kidding you, Tifa."

"Right. Okay." Tifa said with a strained voice. Cloud and Zack looked freaked out. They looked adorable with their expressions. "Um… when's Aerith finally going to come anyway?"

"She should be here in a few more minutes, don't worry. Now, why don't we get your clothes prepared?" Lazard said as he pushed her away from the duo.

They finished planning and arranging at one in the morning. Tifa yawned as she stretched her arms at the backseat of the SUV. At least the traffic was smooth now. She needed to sleep now since the call time for the shoot was six o'clock in the morning sharp. Well… that would certainly be a difficult ordeal. Good thing Rufus was around—his temper is the best alarm clock one could have.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Okay. Now I'm scared—it's been a long time since the last update and I'm extremely doubtful of this one. I kid, I always have that feeling whenever I finish writing an update. I hope you liked what you just read. Whether you did or did not, I hope you will still review.

Victoria Chrystallis


	19. Casual Chase

Chapter Nineteen: Casual Chase

* * *

The sun had already shown its lovely face when Tifa and the whole crew arrived in the location. It was a quaint, little corner café that she had never gotten the chance to visit in the past. Café et joie meant "coffee and joy" in French. "This place is so neat!" Aerith squealed as soon as they stepped out of the bus. "Don't you think so, Zack?" she looked up at the raven haired man she was clinging to. He stifled a yawn and nodded. "Yeah, it is."

"Aw, Zack! You're still sleepy!" Aerith laughed. "Don't worry, the staff's prepared loads of food and coffee for us. Why don't we get some?" Without waiting for his answer, she pulled him inside the coffee shop.

Tifa and Cloud were already inside, enjoying the simple posh interior of the shop. They sipped black coffee and éclairs—Cloud was surprised that she had not added cream or sugar—and talked about anything that popped into their minds. Everybody around them was in high spirits as well. The excitement which was running through the models' and the crews' was heavily evident. Lazard's excitement was the most evident—he didn't even want to sit down for a second.

"Tifa! Cloud! Aerith! Zack! It's time for hair and make-up!" he called out, waving at them impatiently. Reluctantly, the group stood up and abandoned the café's delicious éclairs and made their way over to the makeshift tent beside the bus.

A team of make-up artists, hairdressers and stylists bustled about inside the tent, ushering the models from one station to another. They were quickly ushered to the make-up department. The make-up artists applied barely there make-up on both the boys and natural looking make up on the girls.

Aerith's hair was braided in an elaborate fashion, which finally rested on her right shoulder, while Tifa's hair was simply let down.

Once they were done, they were ushered out of the tent to start the filming. A large crowd had started to converge beyond the barriers the security personnel had put up. The whole block had been closed, and so was the pedestrian lane. The sun was already up the sky, bright and gentle.

"Alright, everybody take your places!" Bart yelled through the megaphone as the group took their assigned seats.

"HL commercial: casual chase, take one!"

Tifa sat beside Aerith, stirring her coffee lazily with her head resting on her left hand. The hazel haired girl was biting on her cupcake. Zack was doing a great job with goofing off with Cloud in the next table.

"_Good, good_." Bart said. "_Now, Cloud, accidentally glance at Tifa, and keep your gaze on her_."

He did just that. She knew that it was just acting, but the intensity of his blue eyes made her heart skip a beat. Suddenly, stirring the cup of coffee was difficult.

"_Perfect!_ _Tifa, look up and catch him staring at you_."

Her body stiffened, but she looked up with easy, gentle grace and caught his beautiful blue eyes boring onto hers.

"_Smile at him. Allure him. Entice him. Then Zack, look the way Cloud's looking and keep your eyes on Aerith._"

Smiles quickly leapt up on the pair's lips the moment their eyes met.

"_Tifa whisper to Aerith, laugh briefly and leave._ _Boys, look puzzled, and go after them without hesitation." _

Bart didn't really need to dictate everything they had to do, it was sort of annoying, but they followed his instructions anyway.

"_Walk slowly Tifa, then look back. Break into a half-run, flag the cab and it's a wrap!_"

"Good work everybody!" Bart said as they finished filming. "This is the first time that I've shot a video with just one take. It'll save us more time in the editing process."

Tifa nodded appreciatively at the man's string of praises and words, not really hearing them properly. She couldn't stop looking at Cloud, who stood across the room, getting his make-up removed. He looked so adorable even if he wasn't trying. It's his charm.

Aerith and Zack were chatting in the corner, giggling about something in her phone. Tifa wondered what it was, but didn't care enough to find out. She sat down on the chair and had her own make-up removed.

"Hey Tifa," he called out softly as he jogged to match her pace. She turned her head to see Cloud wearing a mischievous grin.

"Hey Cloud. What's up?" she said as he stopped beside her. She could feel her cheeks heating up slightly. Annoyingly… "Good job today. It was like, you've been acting and modeling since forever." she added with a cheeky grin.

"Thanks," Cloud said, returning her grin. "Hey… are you doing anything this afternoon?"

She shook her head. "Not really, why?"

He placed his hands in his back pockets and said, "Wanna hang out? Aerith just invited Zack out. The apartment's mine… for a few hours." Cloud chuckled softly.

"That sounds great," she said.

"Great!" Cloud said, with a smile. "Well… I parked the Fenrir in the studio's parking lot… is it okay for us to ride the bus back?"

She nodded, "I don't really mind, silly."

When they boarded the bus, Cloud and Tifa sat together at the front. Rufus, Bart and Lazard sat behind them, discussing something the pair wasn't paying attention to. It was probably just another theme or about the budget cost to broadcast it. Okay, so she was supposed to pay attention to these things, but how could she, when he was so near?

Her manager suddenly called for her attention.

"Yes?" she said, feeling the premonition of ruined plans.

"Bart said that he could probably finish the editing by tonight," Rufus said softly, "and then contact the TV networks to air it tomorrow."

"Wow, that's fast." Tifa said, astonished. Usually, editing commercials took at least a week—well, at least her shampoo commercials with Sephiroth did.

"Of course, being fast is what I do best, darling." Bart said pompously.

"Hey Tifa, is this how things always work around here?" Cloud whispered to her, his breath fanned her ear and jaw, causing her baby hairs to stand slightly.

"Hmm, sort of." Tifa answered, taking quick deep breaths to calm down her excitement.

"Ah," Cloud said, reclining his lithe figure into a more relaxed position next to her. "That's cool. Ahh, I feel so tired." He yawned.

"I do too," she muttered, looking out of the darkly tinted window. The thick crowd was starting to disperse.

"Tifa, where are you going?" Rufus asked as Tifa followed Cloud towards his Fenrir. She turned around and smiled a little at her boss. "I'm going to take a well-deserved rest, Rufus. I'm sure that everybody can use it, too. The call time was _way _too early!"

The blonde man nodded and waved his hand with effortless grace. "Will I be able to call you in a regular interval today, or should I wait until tomorrow?"

"Why do need to call me anyway?"

Clearing his throat, Rufus told her that they were already going to discuss the second commercial. However, since she was leaving, they had to move the meeting the day after tomorrow. Sensing his annoyance, the black haired beauty smiled and said, "You can call."

"Alright. You can go."

"Thanks," she said breathlessly before breaking into a half-walk, half-run towards Cloud who was already seated on the Fenrir, revving it up. Something about the way he was bent over that made her just want to stare. He straightened up when she approached. "I, uh, only have one helmet. You can wear it, if you'd like."

She nodded and took his helmet. He placed it on her. His masculine smell was strong, but it was still sweet. Tifa swung her leg over to sit down behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. It made her break into a cold sweat. The reason behind it was not because she was on a motorcycle—she'd been on it a thousand times—no, it was because she was embracing Cloud.

"Well… this is a first," Cloud mumbled quietly. Tifa did not miss it.

"What's a first?"

They passed the gates of the studio, where a handful of media people were standing by. All of them screamed and raised hell to get pictures and videos. He sped up and they were out of the camera's lenses in no time.

Cloud and Zack's apartment was a mess. Their dishes hadn't been washed, clothes and candy wrappers lay strewn all over.

"What happened to your place?" she blurted.

"Well… we didn't have time to clean up before leaving."

"Alright… So, what are we…"

"Er…" Cloud said, he bent over to gather some discarded articles of clothing and turned to face her. "I wanted to give you something, as a token of our friendship." He smiled and winked, before heading over to his room. "Why don't you take a seat first?" he called out.

Tifa sat down and waited for him to come out of his room. Silence had fallen over them. She felt the need to end it, but couldn't think anything to say. She bit her bottom lip and stared at her lap. Cloud walked out of his room, carrying a CD. She furrowed her brows.

"This is kind of like, a mix tape… except it's not a _tape_. It's a mix CD…whatever." he lamely said, looking shy as he handed it to her. "I put a couple of songs that reminds me of you there, and some of my favorites. I hope you like them."

She took the CD, and smiled. Nobody had ever given her a mix CD before—not even Genesis however that man did write and record songs for her, though. "Thank you, Cloud."

He merely shrugged. "Hey, do you play video games?"

"No… not really."

Cloud chuckled. "I just bought this new game yesterday. I was going to wait for Zack to play it with me, but heck… do you want to play?"

"What game is that anyway?"

"Skyrim."

"Sounds interesting…"

"Great!"

* * *

'_Sounds interesting' _was an understatement. The game was great, and they didn't want to stop. Zack was still not back, and it was already midnight. Cans of soda and crumpled bags of chips lay beside Cloud and Tifa.

"Uh oh." she said.

"What is it?"

"I didn't check my phone. Rufus might have been calling." she said.

Tifa rummaged through her bag and fished out her phone. Sure enough, Rufus had called twenty-three times. "I'm dead meat." she muttered as she called her manager. Rufus yelled at her for a good ten minutes about being too aloof. Then she bit back with threats of finding another manager. It shut him up.

"Hey, Tifa, why don't you stay? It's too late out." Cloud suddenly said when her phone call ended.

She looked at him and smiled. "Thanks Cloud. I'd love to stay."

"You can sleep in my room. I'll sleep here..." he said.

"What? Where will you sleep here? Oh come on, Cloud, it's totally fine if we sleep together." As soon as the words slipped out of her lips, she regretted them. It sounded too wrong. Brushing it off, the brunette looked at him, trying to bend his will. Her eyes won him over.

"Alright fine."

* * *

**Author's Note: **And so, an era ends. My holiday vacation's starting, and I'm commemorating it by updating this. Thank you all for the support! I hope you won't forget to review this update as well. :) EHHHH is it bad that I mentioned another, completely irrelevant game here? o_o I hope not! I just wanted to mention that because the apple of my eyes likes that game. (like he's ever going to read this anyway, bahahaha!)

-ah, being a senior is so depressing. The last of everything's happening to me so fast. ;(

Victoria Chrystallis


	20. Midgar VOGUE

Chapter Twenty: Midgar VOGUE

* * *

His cyan eyes snapped open the moment a phone started to ring. Well… at least, he thinks that it was indeed ringing phone. It could have been the apartment complex's fire alarm, for all he cared.

_Five more minutes, Mom… please. _

When his vision and mind regained their focus, he realized that it was not the apartment complex's fire alarm, nor was it his phone ringing. It was his companion's phone ringing. _His companion's… _His gaze wandered towards the dark brown haired girl sleeping peacefully beside him.

_Amazing… she can sleep through her annoying phone's ringing? _

Cloud danced around the fine line that made him want to grab her expensive phone and stomp on it. Instead, he raised his hand to nudge her. Big mistake…

Electricity shot up from his palms towards his heart the moment he touched her shoulder. It was not like he had not been aware that Tifa Lockhart had silky smooth skin, and it was not the first time he'd touched her before. So why was he suddenly feeling this way?

_I really don't want to disrupt her sleep, but it's her annoying manager calling._

"Tifa…hey," he whispered. "Wake up, hey… Tifa."

"Five more minutes," she grumbled. Her eyebrows knitted together, to make it clear that she was annoyed. And awake.

"I'm sorry to wake you up so early, Tifa, but your annoying manager's calling." he mumbled.

_Annoying manager _did the trick. Her eyes opened at once, and she gasped. "What time is it?" she asked in one breath. Her warm breath fanned his cheeks, tickled his nose.

"I'm not sure…" Cloud mumbled back. "I just woke up a few minutes ago."

Tifa wasted no time in scrambling out of bed, and grabbing her phone. "Hello, Rufus?"

"_Tifa, where are you_? You're going to be late for your magazine shoot and interview!"

"What? I'm… I slept in, sorry. Tell me the venue, and I'll be there as fast as I can."

Rufus sighed. "Just get yourself in your house now. I'm waiting outside your gate."

"You're what? Okay, sorry. Bye." She turned to face Cloud, who was rubbing the sleep away from his eyes. "Um… Cloud, I have to go."

He looked up at her, and nodded. "I'll drive you to your place. It'll save you more time."

"Thanks."

Rising from the bed and stretching his arms, the blonde yawned. It made Tifa want to giggle. "Next time, I hope I'll get to cook breakfast for you." she blurted out. _What? Next time? What am I thinking? He must feel so awkward right now!_

"I'm going to hold onto that." he told her with a wink as he grabbed his jacket and keys. "Let's go?"

"Yeah." Tifa replied. She followed him with a big smile on her lips, and butterflies in her stomach.

* * *

Rufus was leaning on his car with his arms crossed across his chest when the pair arrived, onboard the Fenrir. The uptight manager raised a delicate brow at the sight, especially when Cloud took of Tifa's helmet for her when she stepped down.

"Thanks," she whispered, smiling. He nodded at her and Rufus, revved his bike and drove away. Tifa walked towards him, still wearing a dreamy expression. "Hello Rufus."

"Are you and Cloud an item now?" her manager asked, smirking at her.

"What? No… no, we're not! I just slept over at his place last night because we were playing a video game." Tifa answered him, feeling her cheeks heat up.

"Yes, yes. Get in the car; we're already late for the magazine."

Once the car had started to move, Tifa asked them the question she'd been itching to ask for days. "So _where exactly_ are we shooting this magazine spread?"

He glanced at her quickly and said, "At the castle."

The castle he was referring to was the famous Eden castle. It bore a big resemblance to the Windsor Castle in England. In the entertainment business, when an actress/actor gets to shoot in this historical sight, it means that they have reached the superstar status. It was never explained why, but nobody dared to question this unspoken rule. Tifa's eyes grew wide. "The castle! Wow. I mean… oh my goddess!"

"I know." her manager chuckled. "You'll be having the interview with Anna Winter, then you'll be starting the photo shoot. They've already told us that you'll be wearing creations from XY fashion house."

"How many pages are we getting?"

"About twenty or thirty. VOGUE's going to release your issue as a special issue."

"I see. I'm so excited!"

"You should be."

* * *

Lazard was already there, accompanied by the VOGUE's whole staff and crew. All of them were lounging underneath the tents they'd set up. The first thing that Tifa saw was the wardrobe area, where five racks of gowns were placed, an intimidating height of shoe boxes were stacked together, and the accessories. This was going to be a long day.

"Everyone, Tifa's here!" somebody announced, and all of them bowed and greeted her. Tifa inclined her head as well, and said, "Hello everyone. I hope we have a good time together, please take care of me."

Anna Winter walked towards her with a profession smile. This woman was the fashion industry's most admired fashion journalist. Today, the woman in question was wearing an all-baby pink outfit. It was not entirely atrocious; however, pink was not Tifa's cup of tea at all.

"Shall we start?" the blonde woman told Tifa, gesturing towards the back of the first tent.

"Alright," Tifa said and returned the smile. She wondered if her interview skills had gone rusty as they headed to the spot Anna was heading for.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Well… this update's short. Thank you for reading! Also, if you want to see the gowns I imagined Tifa to wear, just head over to my profile, I've posted links to them. To my male readers, you all deserve to get a Ducati or a Aston Martin for Christmas. And to my lovely ladies, I'd love to give you all Louboutins. I wish I was as rich as Bill Gates this season~ LOLcopter~!**

**Don't forget to review!**

**Victoria Chrystallis**


	21. l'esprit de l'escalier

Chapter Twenty-one: L'esprit de l'escalier

* * *

"We'll be shooting the second commercial in an hour, doll. They're just clearing off the people in the area." Lazard told her as he fixed her hair. He sighed dreamily. "I can't believe that you were working with vogue magazine yesterday! You looked so high-fashion. I think your fans will be rewarded handsomely for the wait."

Tifa smiled at her stylist. "Yeah. Hmm… has Cloud arrived yet?"

"Having a little crush on your co-worker, now are we?" Lazard said with a little grin.

"What? I _do not _have a crush on him! Who told you that?" she snapped, feeling a blush creeping up on her.

"A source… Anyway, doll, which shade of pink do you prefer? Baby pink or hot pink?"

"You know that I don't really use pink lipstick. Can't we stick with my trademark red?"

Somebody knocked on her trailer's door. "Hey, can I come in?" It was Bart. He had already opened the door before neither of the trailer's residents could respond. Talk about rude. Bart was wearing jogging pants and a muscle shirt. "I have great news," he said.

"Really?" Tifa asked, acting cool.

"The banners of Heart Locker and the bill board, plus the commercial are causing an uproar! In a positive way, of course." Bart said. He didn't even try to hide his excitement. "They're actually talking about it in the morning gossip shows." The flamboyant director strode over and handed her a slightly thick ream of paper. "Those are all online comments in XY fashion's website, in your official website and social networking site pages."

_Ah! Tifa! You're finally back! Waaaah! I missed you! _

_Whoa, nice come back girl. When are you talking about Genesis? I can't wait for these cardigans to hit the racks!_

Those were mainly the topics of the 5000 comments she read. It made her heart swell—the support of her fans was overwhelming. She and her team had succeeded in their goal. There was another knock on the door. "Tifa?"

Unfortunately, it was not Cloud, but Zack.

"Hi Zack!" she said. "Can I… help you with something?"

The blue eyed raven looked at her and bit his lip. "Yeah… er, you're friends with Aerith right? Like, really close friends?"

"Hmm yes, why?"

"Can you help me out with something?"

"Okay… what is it?"

"What are her favorite flowers? I know she likes all the flowers in the world—"

"She basically prefers receiving potted flowering plants than bouquets." Tifa told him with a tentative smile. "Are you guys… you know, dating already?"

The wild haired raven smiled at her and said, "Sort of. I'm asking her tonight!"

"Well, congrats on that Zack."

"Yeah, thanks Tifa! Well… I gotta—oh yeah, I forgot, Cloud asked me to give you this." He strode in and handed her a piece of paper. "Well, bye now."

Tifa unfolded the paper and read his handwritten congratulations. Was he avoiding her now, she thought with pursed lips and furrowed brows. Had last night's event—well, sleeping beside each other—make him feel awkward? Ridiculous… this was the second time that they had slept together! The first time was when they drove over to the outskirts of the metro. So why…?

"Doll, you should be getting a move on now. Shoot's about to start." Lazard whispered.

"Oh yeah, thanks Lazard."

For the second commercial, Tifa and the rest of the models were wearing Bermuda shorts, and blouses. Tifa was wearing black Bermuda shorts with brass buttons, a crisp white blouse and flat shoes.

"Tifa!" Aerith called out from the side lines. She was wearing an off-white pair of Bermuda shorts, a pink long-sleeved blouse and white sandals. Her hair was let loose, while Tifa's was styled into a messy updo.

"Alright people! Come over! We're starting!"

Cloud finally appeared, laughing at something that Zack had said. The blonde was wearing navy Capri shorts, a white collared shirt, a matching navy V-neck vest and sneakers, while Zack wore black capris and a vintage rockband shirt. Cloud smiled at Tifa and turned away again.

"Okay Tifa, Aerith go over there. Models! Girls! Take your places there! Zack, Cloud!"

The two ladies walked over to the cobblestone path of the park, where Aerith was given a fluffy little puppy and Tifa was given a golden retriever. "You'll be walking the dogs along the path here, and the boys over there will see you. They'll approach you and you will 'talk'." The crew member instructed them.

"Alright, thanks."

'_Heart Locker commercial number 2 take 1!'_ yelled the guy holding the clapboard.

"Girls, talk animatedly! Giggle! Be happy!" Bart shouted.

From across the park, Tifa saw Cloud sitting down on the ground, supposedly reading while Zack played with a dog. Suddenly, a crew member appeared, holding a chew toy. He waved it in front of Tifa's dog, and it yapped and wagged its tail. '_Bark! Bark!_'

"Hey! Stop doggy! Hey! Ah!" Tifa said, as the crew member ran towards the direction of the boys.

"Let go of the leash, Tifa! Then chase it!"

She did, and the dog ran after the chew toy. The crew member threw the dog at Cloud, who quickly caught it. Tifa sprinted towards their direction. "Stop Tifa! Stop!" But it was too slippery. Cloud stood up to prevent her from tripping, but they fell on the nearby pond.

It was soft. Really, really soft… and warm.

Tifa opened her eyes, and met Cloud's bright, sapphire gaze.

"Brilliant Tifa! That's an absolutely wonderful shot!"

They pulled away, both of them with eyes bulging open.

I just kissed Cloud… right…? Tifa thought, blushing furiously. Her make-up was no match to her heated up face. Nobody spoke a word, it was as if everybody was looking at the two of them. It was highly possible—no, it really was possible. But Tifa didn't have the guts to meet their faces. Especially Cloud's.

Quickly getting up from the pond, she took the dog in her arms and ran towards the trailer. Her heart was pounding so loud against her ears, but she heard Bart announce that the shoot was over.

"Tifa! Wait! Hey!" Cloud yelled.

_Slam._ She slid down onto the floor, touching her lips with trembling fingers. The retriever whined beside her and decided to walk around the trailer with its dirty, wet paws. Cloud is the second man she had ever kissed. Genesis had been the first to claim her lips, and he found the fact endearing. Tifa drew in big ragged breaths and chanted, "Calm down, Tifa, you didn't kiss him on purpose. It was an accident."

_Knock, knock. _"Tifa? Doll? Can you open the door, it's just me." Rufus said calmly from the other side of the door.

Mustering all her strength, Tifa managed to open the door with shaky legs. Her manager couldn't help but chuckle at his talent's predicament. "You're so funny, Tifa."

She frowned and opened the door to admit her manager in. "Huh… why?"

"You're acting like a shy thirteen year old. Come on, darling, you've been kissed a hundred times now, why so coy?"

"I don't really consider my on-screen kisses real kisses, Rufus." Tifa said, leaning on dresser's countertop.

"Hmm… what's this dog doing here! It's got the carpet all muddy!"

Typical Rufus, she thought. Leave her manager to change a topic without an effort.

"I er, forgot to put her down when I ran off."

_Knock, knock. _

"Who is it? The door's open." Rufus said, still studying the ruined carpet. "This carpet was from Paris, Tifa. _Paris_."

The door swung open to reveal a wet and dirty Cloud. His face was red too. Tifa's eyes widened, and she gasped a little. "Tifa…" he said.

"I'm going to call the carpet cleaners," Rufus said, striding out of the trailer with quick grace.

Cloud cleared his throat and stared at his muddy kicks. "Um…"

"Look Cloud, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to—"she started.

"I guess we've got a breach of contract here, right?" he told her. "Well, actually, we've got a breach of agreement, but it's the same thing." The blonde shrugged.

_Gaia, your shoulders… _

"Well… yeah…"

"I'm sorry for that…" he looked up at her. "But I'm going to tell you something, even if I think you're not going to like it."

She raised an eyebrow, trying to bring a calm front. "What do you want to tell me?"

"I… no, forget about it. Anyway, I'll be leaving now. See you."

He turned to leave. She opened her mouth to say something but snapped it close again and just watched him go.

Lazard burst in the trailer a few moments later, looking like Christmas had come early. "Oh-em-gee Tifa! What happened? Did he continue the kiss?"

"No. I have a feeling that he's going to start avoiding me now." Tifa groaned.

"Oh don't talk rubbish, doll. He _loves_ you. Haven't you seen the way he looks at you lately?"

"Um, no."

Her stylist shook his head. "Well from now on, you're going to start paying more attention!"

"Er… okay," Tifa mumbled.

"Why don't we get some lunch? VOGUE's sending over a raw copy of your photos from yesterday's shoot later."

"Alright."

* * *

**Author's Note: Belated Merry Christmas, my lovelies! I hope you all got a lot of gifts. Also, I also hope that you enjoyed this update! Don't forget to review this baby, guys! :] **

**The title of this update, l'esprit de l'escalier, is a French term used to describe the feeling you get when you leave a conversation and think of all the things you should have said. There is no English term for this. **

**PS – I won't be able to update again before the year ends, so let me tell you guys how grateful I am for all the support. Please know that I appreciate every single review, PM, favorite and alert that you have given me this year. I love you guys! **

…**Yeah, well before I get any mushier, I'm going to go and leave you guys. ;)**

**Victoria Chrystallis**


	22. Confessions of the Star

Chapter Twenty-two: Confessions of the Star

* * *

TIFA LOCKHART IS BACK and she's returning with a vengeance. After a month of vanishing from the public eye, Tifa sits down with VOGUE's Anna Winter for her first, exclusive interview after her reclusion.

"I've thought of going away from the public eye for a long time. I discussed it with Genesis, but he didn't really support my idea, so did my staff. They told me that I was on the top of my game, I couldn't just throw all of it away. But I was willing to. I felt like I was losing myself in all this glitz and glamour." Tifa says. "But I'm glad I followed what I wanted, because now that I'm back, I've got my goals in place. I've screwed up a lot of times, but I don't want the fear of failing hold me back."

Tifa Lockhart got her big break when she starred in 'New Day', when she was only 15. Since then, her star began to shine very brightly, and now, at 22, she is now recognized as one of the sexiest ladies in the Planet and has earned various awards for her work. "Most people do not really know why I suddenly lined up at the auditions for New Day," she says. "I was 15, and the other girls looked more polished than I was. I never had an acting lesson in my life. My mother was ill. I guess she was the only thing that strengthened my drive to winning." Tifa Lockhart's staff has always been the same, since she was fifteen. The same driver takes her to wherever she needs to be, the same stylists fix her up before she faces the world.

She won her first Meteor award when she was nineteen, and there, she met her ex-boyfriend, Genesis. "I honestly believed that we were heading to the altar too," she says with a little laugh. "but we never did. One of the hardest decisions you will ever have to make is whether to stay and try harder—I mean, I could have forgiven him and hoped that he wouldn't do it again. Or to take your memories and walk away. It really hurt when I found out that he was cheating on me, and I wondered about our relationship. No matter how much I wanted to keep him with me, fidelity was something I held sacred. I'm not going to smile and tell you that we'll remain good friends, because I'm not a liar."

"Right now, I think I'm going to enjoy being single for a while. But if I do fall in love again, I'd like to fall in love with a man who doesn't value publicity and fame much. With someone who would rather chose to go motorcycling out of town than attending parties. Somebody who'd always be there when I need him, not just when he wants to be with me." When asked about settling down, Tifa laughs. "I'm single right now, but I do want to get married and have a kid. Note, a kid. Just one."

Her fashion line with XY fashion house is one of the things her fans are all clamoring about. Prior to the magazine's shoot, the world finally got a glimpse of Tifa's designs. The site for her line reportedly had to hold off some reservation orders. "Heart Locker is the main result of my reclusion," she confides. "Before I decided to drive out of town, my line was supposed to compose of shirts with my name and face printed on it. My fans deserve better than that, I thought, and so now, here Heart Locker is." Tifa's face brightens. "I'm really grateful that Ysabelle gave me this chance. She's a huge name in the fashion industry, and she's the best person to have around when it comes down to style."

Immortal, her action-romance movie with Reno and Elena, earned a whooping 600million gil, which makes Tifa Lockhart worth at least 200million today. "Funny. I don't really spend a lot these days, and I'm frightened with all the money I have right now. I always wonder how I'm going to spend it all. The last big purchase I had was last year, when I bought myself a car." She frowns a little and said, "If money could buy me something, I would use it all to bring back mom. It's funny how I have all this money, and she's gone. She was the reason why I entered the world of acting in the first place." Tifa Lockhart is funding a research group that aims in finding the cure for cancer.

"There are those times, when I'm alone, I ask myself 'so what's next for Tifa Lockhart?' and I end up with a million ideas. There are times when I come up blank. Sometimes I leave the question hanging and just order pizza." She says with a grin.

When asked where she went, the actress declined to say where it was, but said that she used another name to stay there. It was definitely not out of the country as well. "It was a very peaceful place." She notes.

Wherever she went, we applaud Tifa Lockhart. She has emerged as a completely changed woman. She's stronger and more mature, and we cannot wait for the surprises she's got for us! •

* * *

Tifa set the magazine down on the tabletop and smiled to herself. Yep, her interview skills hadn't gone rusty. Her photographs were all stunning as well.

"Rufus, do you think I can ask for copies of my pictures?"

"Of course doll…" Rufus answered, raising a brow. "This is the first time you've asked for copies."

She merely smiled. "I'm celebrating my liberation."

"Hmm, alright. I'll be right back." Her manager left her alone in her living room. Tifa sank back on the couch the moment Rufus left the room, wondering what Cloud was doing. Was he thinking about her too? She grabbed her phone and looked at the screen. There was no text message nor a missed call. With a sigh, Tifa stood up and headed outside, to her car.

Rufus stared at her, with a raised eyebrow. "Hold on a second," he said to his phone. "Tifa? Where are you going?"

She looked at him and said, "I need to talk to Cloud. Will you be alright here?"

"Actually I think I'd rather go to a Starbucks." The blonde man answered.

"Alright then, I'll drop you off."

* * *

The apartment complex where Cloud lived was quiet. There weren't much people out in the afternoon. Tifa proceeded to head over to the third floor, where he stayed. She knocked on the door for a full minute. She wondered if he was home. Finally, the door opened. It was Zack who answered the door, and it seemed like he had just woken up—his hair was not styled, his eyes were slightly droopy.

"G'morning, Tifa." the raven said lazily.

She giggled a little, then said, "Good afternoon, Zack. Is Cloud here?"

"Yep, he's in his room. Come in," he told her.

"Thanks." Tifa said as she walked in. Their apartment had changed a lot—their lousy old couch had been replaced with a black leather one, and their things were no longer scattered.

"Er, yeah, we bought a new couch. Want me to wake Cloud up so we can all like, break it in? Aerith gave me a DVD of Immortal, your movie." Zack said while grinning.

"He's sleeping?"

Zack shrugged. "Maybe."

"What do you mean by 'maybe' Zack? Is he sleeping or what?"

"He could be lying on his bed, revisiting your little scene yesterday." Zack answered.

She blushed and looked down at the floor. "I think I'll go see if he's awake then." Suddenly, something rang. "It's my phone, excuse me." Zack said as he dashed into his room. It was probably Aerith.

Tifa squared her shoulders and knocked on Cloud's bedroom door.

"Yo Zack, what's up?" his voice called out.

Her lips were dry, hearing his voice suddenly sent her knees shaking. She shook her head and tried to speak. "…Hey, Cloud? It's me."

Silence.

"Oh Tifa… give me a minute," he finally said.

"Okay."

When he finally opened the door, she saw that he had been sleeping too. She furrowed her brows. "What were you guys up to last night? Both of you look like you've been asleep all day."

He smiled at her sheepishly, his eyes cast down on the floor. "Well, we've been waking up really early for the commercial shoots, and today's our day off. Er… how about you? You look like you've been up all day." He chuckled at his lame joke.

"Of course I've been up all day. Anyway, can I come in?" she asked after smiling at his sheepish pun.

"Sure," he muttered, standing back to let her pass.

"VOGUE just sent me the first copy of their latest issue." She told him, bringing out the magazine. He raised an eyebrow, and she smiled. "I just wanted to share it with somebody. Would you like to look at it?" she asked quietly.

He nodded and sat down. She sat down right beside him. His warmth was so comfortable, she wanted to snuggle him. Suddenly, he reached out his hand, and her heart jumped.

"Tifa? The magazine?" he asked.

She snapped out of her reverie. "Oh sorry. Here."

Cloud took the magazine and studied the cover. "You look stunning," he breathed.

Tifa swallowed, trying to calm herself down. "Thanks," she looked at him, and studied his profile. He was really busy with the magazine—his blue eyes were focused on the pages, his fingers held the edge of the page and his arm's muscles showed themselves as he did so. "Hey Cloud, about yesterday…"

He froze and slowly looked up at her, his face suddenly pink. "What about it?"

"I think our agreement's off."

"…What do you mean?"

Tifa opened her mouth to tell him why, but Zack suddenly walked in the room, announcing, "I'll be leaving. I'm meeting up with Aerith." Feeling annoyed, Tifa nodded. "As I was about to say…" she paused, "the agreement's off. I think it's no use."

He gave her a puzzled look. "No use? For what?"

"I…" she started. "I have to go. I've got a meeting, you can keep the magazine…" Tifa stood up hastily from his bed and started walking out when he grabbed her hand and pulled her back.

"Tell me." Cloud said. The magazine lay discarded on the floor. He looked straight into her eyes, trying to get an answer. "Tell me why."

Her lips trembled.

"Do you really want to know?" she whispered.

"Yes."

Tifa closed her eyes and sighed softly. "The agreement's off because I can no longer keep lying to myself over and over again. I made that agreement because I was starting to fall in love with you, and I didn't know if I was ready to dive headfirst again. But yesterday, when I slipped and fell on top of you, I knew I was ready to… fall back in. I love you, that's why the agreement's off, Cloud. I love you." Tears started to sting her eyes.

He just looked at her.

"Cloud… say something… please."

The blonde continued to look into her eyes, before closing the distance between them with a kiss. "I always wanted to tell you that I love you too," he told her when they parted. "But I respected your wish. You don't know how hard it was to always be near you and not be able to tell you what I felt."

They smiled at each other.

"You've got a nice couch," she suddenly said. "Let's watch a movie in your living room!" Tifa laughed as she stood up and pulled him to his feet.

"Wait... Tifa, does this mean that we're together _together_ now?" he asked.

She turned around and said, "I think we are now, aren't we? I mean, we love each other."

"Yeah..." Cloud said with a smile. He squeezed her hand in his and added, "We are."

* * *

Author's Note:

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Thank you for reading chapter 22! I hope you enjoyed. Um, I think I didn't do very well with her article in Midgar Vogue, haha. Also, I'd like to apologize to those who didn't really enjoy this one. I'm not rather new at writing confession arcs, haha! Don't forget to review! -Personally, I think it's too fast, but heck, it's what happened so... yah.-

Victoria Chrystallis


	23. Celebration

Chapter Twenty-three: Celebration

* * *

"Come on Tifa! Tell me _everything_!" Lazard pleaded as he played with his client's hair. "I really want to know. I'm so happy for you!" The blonde grinned expectantly at her. Tifa rolled her eyes, feeling a warm flush betray her calm façade. "Oh give it a rest Lazard. I'll tell you whatever you want to know later, when the shoot's over, okay?" she said, looking at the crew and staff milling about outside. They were shooting the third commercial for Heart Locker today, in her own home. The theme was a casual party, which meant that her dresses were finally going to be shown. The 'party' was going to happen in her back yard. She hasn't seen the set yet, but she did spy some balloons.

Everybody was getting ready in the guest-rooms of her house. There were four guest rooms in her place, and the big rooms suddenly shrunk thanks to the presence of sixty models' presence. Not that she was complaining. Tifa was sharing her master bedroom with Aerith. Cloud and Zack were in the next room.

"What are you two talking about?" the bubbly brunette asked, looking up at the mirror. Her stylist did not look up, instead she carried on fixing Aerith's extremely intricate braid. Tifa often wondered where Aerith's hair stylist gets her ideas from. Coming up with various trendsetting braid styles are difficult.

Tifa frowned a little. Does that mean that Zack hasn't told her yet?

"Um, Cloud and I are officially seeing each other."

Aerith squealed, just like Lazard, when the raven-haired beauty broke the news. "Aww that's so cute! You two look really good together you know!" the brunette gushed, bouncing slightly in her seat. Her stylist murmured something and Aerith apologized. "Since when?" she asked Tifa quietly.

"Last night." Tifa confided. "Then we watched my movie in his living room."

"Didn't you two do anything else after that?" Lazard nagged while applying a thin layer of foundation on her face.

"You want to know if we did it last night? Oh Lazard, you've got a dirty, dirty mind." The raven said, shaking her head slightly.

Her stylist chuckled. "Well, at least I can be guaranteed that you won't be staying up really late a lot." The blonde winked at her, clearly pertaining to the time when Genesis would keep her to himself late at night. It had always been a painstaking job to cover up the dark circles under her eyes the next day. Tifa frowned at Lazard, who simply stalked off to get some accessories in her wardrobe.

"Tifa, Aerith, the shoot's going to start in five minutes. Please hurry." A staffer holding a clipboard said. Both models nodded and the staffer scurried away to announce the same news to the others. Lazard came back holding a statement necklace made of pearls and colorful beads. It was the necklace a fan had given her when she was shooting in Costa del Sol. This was the first time she was ever going to wear it.

* * *

Her backyard has been turned into a hip, pool party venue. Little fairy lights were wrapped around the palm trees' trunks, a barbeque grill complete with the barbeque was already burning, a cooler filled with beer was placed at the side and huge speakers were positioned nearby.

"Okay girls, take your positions!" Bart instructed them through the megaphone. "And action!"

Aerith faced Tifa, with a worried expression, then at her platinum silver watch. "They're late!" the bubbly brunette said, frustrated. Then the doorbell rang. "Yes! Finally! I'll go get the door," with her lines said, Aerith rushed away to welcome their supposed guests. Tifa stood there, wondering what Cloud was wearing.

She didn't need to wonder long.

"Hey, pretty lady." somebody whispered behind her. Tifa turned slowly, just as she had been instructed, and faced Cloud. He smiled gently at her. His eyes harbored the softest shade of blue today. She studied him quickly—a fitted white shirt with black details, charcoal jeans and black high-top leather sneakers. "Hello handsome," she whispered back with a grin.

"Flirt, you two! Be sweet! Make the audience feel the _love_." Bart yelled.

"Love he says," Cloud chuckled, suddenly reaching for her hand. She squeezed his hand a little and smiled. They were seated by the pool, with her feet dangling on the water. He was sitting cross-legged beside her. His lips touched the back of her hand. There was a glint in his eyes that told her that he was happy. It made her smile.

Zack was dancing nearby, and Aerith stood in the sidelines, holding a drink. "Zack dances really good," Tifa told Cloud. "How about you? Can you dance?"

Her boyfriend grinned his boyish smile and answered, "I dance pretty good too. Zack's better though, because he used to dance with a group."

"Oh really? What's the name of that group?" she asked, widening her eyes. "Were you in that group together with him?"

The crowd of models cheered nearby, and the two of them knew that the shoot was almost over.  
Cloud got up and helped her up.

"No, I just watched his group perform." He said.

"Tifa! Cloud! Lean into each other, stare into each other's eyes! We're ending the shoot!" Bart instructed. "Make the audience wonder, fantasize!"

They did as they were told. Tifa caught a whiff of his scent—masculine, soap and a slight tinge of cologne. She closed her eyes and just took it in. Her heart was pounding hard against her chest. He was so warm. So comfortable…

_What would Cloud look like without his shirt on?_ Tifa wondered when she opened her eyes.

"And cut! Good work everybody!"

* * *

After the staff and models had gone from her house, the couple had the place all to themselves. Even Rufus and Lazard left. That was a rare event. Those two never left at once, before. Tifa had changed out of the dress and into a floral sun dress. She didn't make Cloud change out of his.

They were sitting by the poolside again, just holding hands and swinging their feet in the water.

"You know," Cloud started. "I got my third paycheck today. I still haven't cashed in my previous one."

"Hmm…? Why?"

"Well, I didn't really need to buy anything."

"You'll need to move out of your apartment soon. Paparazzi's bound to catch up with you and hound you 24/7." She told him quietly.

"I was thinking of cashing in the second paycheck tomorrow night." Cloud said, with a little grin. "Would you like to go out on a date with me tomorrow?"

"I would love to!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around him in a tight embrace.

"Whoa—!" Cloud yelled, before losing his balance and falling into the pool.

They emerged laughing. "I love you," he whispered before stealing a kiss from her lips.

"I love you too," she replied. Her heart swelled, and then she kissed him again.

* * *

**Author's Note: Sorry I haven't been able to update sooner guys! I've been really, really busy with school. I think school plans on keeping me away until graduation. –cries- Anyway, how are you? I hope you liked this update! Ah, finally, they're going on a date. Tell me what you thought and how you want the date to go in your review!**

**Always on a sugar-high,**

**Victoria Chrystallis**


	24. Date

Chapter Twenty-four: Date

* * *

"Lazard, help me." Tifa pleaded over the phone as she scanned her huge walk-in closet that afternoon. "I don't know what to wear tonight!" The closet stretched before her endlessly. Her closet was huge, and this was the first time she had ever cared to notice_._

_I need to throw out some stuff, maybe I'll do that tomorrow. Right now, I have to find something good to wear!_

"Calm down, doll, I'll be there in thirty minutes." Her stylist drawled from the other line. He already sounded like he was hurrying out of his apartment.

"Alright." she muttered then the line went dead. Tifa stared blankly at the endless rows of clothes, shoes, bags and whatnots before her. This was one of the perks of being rich and famous—getting free stuff. Just mention that you can't live without this night cream, and they'll ship you a box of it the next hour, or day. It was funny really, because now that she was able to afford the things she liked, the were given to her for free. How ironic, right?

It's impossible for her to wear all of these clothes, because there was an unspoken law of wearing something once only. And then the styles changed too fast. Tifa sighed deeply and walked forward, trying to find contenders.

By the time that she heard Lazard's BMW X6 parking in her driveway, she had three dresses lying on her bed, waiting to be chosen. A red vintage dress, a simple LBD and a white mini…

Lazard didn't need to press the doorbell as the door swung open at once. "I've picked three dresses, and I need your opinion!" Tifa said, dragging the stylist inside without another word. As they walked, Lazard asked, "Did he even tell you where he's taking you tonight?"

Tifa stopped in her tracks, and shook her head. "No, he didn't. That's why I want to play it on the safe side… I guess,"

"Safe side?" Lazard all but scoffed. He was never one to go to fashion's safe side. He was outrageous… fabulous. But of course… he could make an exception.

* * *

Zack couldn't help but laugh at his friend.

"She'll beg you to marry her when she sees you already!" he teased his blonde friend, who was busy examining his reflection. Cloud rolled his eyes at Zack. His friend was exaggerating it.

"Come on man, it's our first official date, stop making me feel like I look like a clown or something, will you?" the blonde said as he did a last minute hair styling. One can never spike his hair too high.

"What time are you picking her up anyway?"

"Six."

"Heh, it's already four-thirty. You'll never make it on time because of the traffic." Zack told him as he headed to the kitchen to get a glass of water. "So… where are you taking her?"

Cloud grinned and said that it was a secret. The raven haired man groaned. "Don't tell me you're going to take her another pizza parlor date!"

"Idiot, of course I'm not. Now, if you'll excuse me…"

The blonde left the apartment with a rapidly beating heart. _Here goes nothing_, he thought as he revved up the Fenrir. _But before anything else, I need to get her flowers._

* * *

It was five-fifty-six already. Where was he? Tifa wondered as she bit her bottom lip. She wrung her fingers together. She felt like she was at the Meteor Awards, waiting for her name to be called. Lazard had already gone off, saying that he had a date. Tifa didn't ask any further about it. Her staff's privates lives were out of her concern, as long as they didn't open up to her and share it.

She ended up wearing the red vintage dress. Lazard had paired it with a black Blueberry Porsum trench coat. The dress covered a great deal of her skin, but fitted like a glove. She wore simple diamond stud earrings, and her hair was done into a wavy, commercial-fitting style.

The roaring sound of the motorcycle told her that her wait was over. Tifa almost jumped up from her seat with glee, and then she remembered that she was wearing four-inched heels. So she took them off and padded downstairs in her bare feet. It's not like her feet would get dirty—her place was spotless!

In a few moments, the Fenrir's engine died, and the doorbell rang. Tifa couldn't keep her smile from spreading in her face. She opened the door.

"Hi," Cloud said as the door swung open slowly.

"Hi," she said back.

_Wow _was the only word the couple could think of as they stared at each other.

Cloud was wearing a crisp, white polo paired with denim and black leather shoes. She wondered whether Lazard had helped him out as well. Silly, he wouldn't have time for that. At least she didn't look too dressed up, she thought with relief.

"Shall we?" he asked after a moment.

"Of course," the bombshell replied giddily. If only she were not wearing heels, she would be walking with a bounce in her every step. He offered her his hand to support her, and she took it with a gentle smile. She locked the door. Cloud looked up at her with twinkly eyes, a helmet in his hand.

"This is yours."

"Thanks," Tifa stretched her arm to receive it, only to be pulled close to him gently.

"Let me," he murmured and proceeded to place the helmet on her. "There..." Cloud looked at her and broke into another grin. He took her hand and headed over to the Fenrir. Tifa climbed in behind him and wrapped her arms around his slim waist.

Cloud revved up the motorcycle and they were off.

The cityscape faded into a blur as the couple zipped past the heavily congested road. Riding in a motorcycle, with somebody special, was something new. Genesis had never taken her for a ride in his Harley Davidson. They usually rode in fancy cars—but enough of him.

She placed her head on his shoulder and closed his eyes. Wherever he was taking her, it didn't matter, as long as she was with him. The engine stopped. "Hey," Cloud whispered. "We're here."

Tifa looked up. They were at the bay.

"Wh—"

Cloud got off and offered her a hand. "Ssh, follow me."

His hands were warm, and her hands fit perfectly in it. Tifa smiled. They approached the Midgar Aqua Park. _This is certainly a different type of date. Awesome! _she thought. She looked up at Cloud and beamed.

Suddenly, people came buzzing towards them with cameras and astounded faces. They shouted her name, asking for an autograph and picture. Cloud wasn't completely left alone as well. Queries like '_is he your new boyfriend?_' floated up, and Tifa wanted to scream '_yes, he is!_'. But she felt that letting the whole world know about it had to take place in a grander, better scene. The couple stared blankly at the crowd, as if they had frozen for a full minute before Cloud regained his right mind and ushered her to the door.

Behind the safety of the glass doors of the aqua park, they heaved a sigh of relief, hands still linked.

"I'll go get the tickets. Why don't you sit down for a minute?" Cloud said when he finally caught up with his breath. The staircase was pretty freaking long, after all.

So she did sit down. Her feet were complaining—running in heels was definitely not comfy, but it was fun! The security personnel had taken action and were now blocking the paparazzi from entering the park. Her date came back after five minutes, grinning like a school boy.

"Okay, let's go. I can't wait to see the Largemouth Yellow Fish!" the young man exclaimed.

"Largemouths?" she asked.

"They're pretty. I went here when I was a kid, and I was particularly attracted by those yellow things." He told her. His eyes glittered. "And then the sharks and stingrays."

He continued talking as they walked inside the passageway. They entered another world—a world of blue, of schools of fish. It was wickedly awesome.

"I've never been here before." Tifa confided.

He turned to look at her face. "You haven't?"

She shook her head. "No, this is my first time coming here. Oh my gosh—are those clown fish!"

"Yeah, they're cute, aren't they?" he said, as they walked closer to the tank. The clown fishes swam about without a care inside, some swam in and out of their coral.

"Yes they are."

They lingered there for about ten minutes before moving on to the other tanks.

After two hours of being amazed by millions of fish, Tifa and Cloud were tired. They had finished looking at all the tanks. In the end, Tifa had also come to love the Largemouth Yellowfish because their color reminded her of Cloud's hair color.

"Would you like to have dinner now?" he asked.

"Sure." she answered, already starting to feel the pain and agony that high heels caused.

"You look like you're about to crawl. Are you okay?"

"Um…"

"Take off your shoes," he told her, as he bent down to remove his own sneakers. He wore white socks.

"Why…?"

"Put on mine."

"But you won't have shoes… you'll look ridiculous."

"I don't mind. Just put them on."

"Your socks…"

"Don't worry about them. I can wash them when I get home later."

"Alright. Hey Cloud, isn't it odd that for somebody who wears heels a lot, my feet get tired too fast?"

"I'm not really wondering why. You were all over the place!" Cloud laughed.

"Ah, my feet are happy." She murmured before pecking on his cheek.

"Glad to know." He replied smiling again. He should never stop smiling. "So… let's go?"

"Yes!"

He took her to a nearby restaurant. It was not very popular—by media standards—but the place seemed pretty packed. Tifa and Cloud had both purchased souvenir hats from the park, and they tugged at it to hide their faces. Inside the restaurant, it was warm whereas the world beyond its door was pretty cold. A waitress approached them and Cloud asked for a table for two.

The waitress showed them to a table at the back, near the window. She gave them menus and left them to attend to another party.

"So what will you have?" Tifa asked.

"Hmm… I don't know yet. How about you, does anything sound good?"

"I think I'll have creamy Cajun chicken pasta."

"Alright I'll have that too." Cloud said before calling the attention of another waiter. He ordered two pastas and two glasses of wine.

As they waited, they talked about anything and anybody.

"Can you believe that we're already going to shoot the last commercial next week?" she said. "It seems like it was only yesterday that we started!"

"I know right? Ah I feel nervous about the runway show already!"

"Me too. I've walked in runways for at least twenty times now, and I still get goose bumps when I walk."

"Really?" Cloud chuckled.

"Yeah! I guess I'm not really into modeling, but you are."

"Oh really? Why'd you say that?"

"You're good at making people's jaws drop."

"So are you."

"Ha, okay. Well you're good at drawing people in with just one look. You look like a rocker slash boy next door type of guy."

"Thank you. I could say a lot of things about you as well, but I'm afraid that I might never stop." Cloud said with a smile. Tifa's cheeks burned.

"Here you are, sir, ma'am." The waitress announced, placing the plates of food on their table.

The couple murmured thanks and began to dig in. They were quiet as they ate. Tifa liked not having to talk while eating. The silence that had fallen upon them was easy, comfortable.

After dinner, Tifa gave Cloud his shoes back. A lot of people stared at Cloud's feet as they dined. Some showed admiration, some were plain disgusted. But seriously, what was disgusting about seeing socks in public?

He took her for a walk in the park and surprised her with a bouquet of roses.

* * *

"I had a wonderful time tonight Cloud." She told him as they stood in front of her house. "Thank you."

Cloud smiled and murmured something like 'me too.' He looked at her and leaned in for a kiss.

The kiss was not a long one, but was gentle and passionate. How Tifa wished that she could undress him right there, in that second! "Good night, Tifa." Cloud said.

"Good night." Tifa replied and with a final smile, Cloud turned his heel to leave.

The Fenrir roared to life, and he was gone. It was already midnight. Tifa unlocked the door and collapsed inside, giggling like a high school girl.

* * *

Author's Note:

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

Don't forget to review and me feel the love. Okay, I know that this date thing is a bit dry and I'm sorry, but will it appease you to know that this has been revised like, five times? Also I'd like to apologize for the long wait, school's eating me alive.

Victoria Chrystallis


	25. Final Shoot

Chapter 25: Final Shoot

* * *

"I absolutely approve of her new beau, Thomas. Have you seen the pictures of their date last night?" one of the commentators said on the show. Her blonde hair bounced with life as she turned her head to face her partner. Her partner shook his head and asked her where the date happened. "I'll just let the pictures show you," the lady host replied smartly queuing the picture slideshow.

_Click. _Tifa turned the TV off and turned her head to let Lazard curl her hair. She could feel her cheeks growing hot again. "You know, Cloud's really sweet. I'm so jealous." her stylist told her. "Your old friend never did anything like that."

"Ha, it was my first time to see a person walk around in his socks too, Lazard. It was really sweet, and touching. Plus his feet didn't smell!" Tifa replied, smiling broadly.

There were three short knocks on her room's door, and a familiar voice asked if he could come in. "Of course you can," Lazard said, beating her to it.

"I brought coffee," Cloud said as he walked in, holding tall cups of espresso. He handed Tifa her cup and said, "Good morning. Sorry I'm late. Traffic in the 101 was really bad." He was wearing a tight-fitting black shirt where Tifa could see the outline of his perfectly toned body.

_My god, he's wearing a shirt and I'm getting turned on here. _she thought.

"I'll see you later, Tifa. I've got to go and get my hair and make up done too. He he." Cloud said after a moment. He took her free hand and squeezed it for a second before leaving the room. His hand was warm, _very warm_. His palms were slightly rough and she liked it that way.

"See what I mean?" Lazard chided her. "Ah there, your hair's done! Let's get you in your dress now before I do your make up." The stylist led her to the changing room and gave her the dress she would be wearing that day. It was red, lacy with elbow-length sleeves. It gave the illusion of sheerness, but there was a skin tone dress underneath.

"I think I'm going to pair that up with Christian Louboutin heels and Cartier baubles." Lazard decided once she emerged from the changing room. "Since your dress is very detailed, your other accessories will be plain and simple. Come, sit."

When Lazard and his team finished prepping the whole group, the filming for Heart Locker's final commercial began. XY fashion house had decided to only have four commercials in order to have it on Midgar Fashion Week. The fashion week was one of the biggest, most anticipated events in the industry.

The theme was a posh party, almost like a promenade. Bart had rented out Rose Hotel's Diamond Ball Room for the filming. The opulent crystal chandeliers hung above, sending brilliant light all over. There were twelve round tables placed on the floor. Each table had been draped with rose red cloth and ivory white satin. Adorable bouquets of roses rested on each table.

"Heart Locker 'Posh' episode take one!"

All the models filed in the ballroom, making sure to walk closely by the cameras. They were all chatting, like they were all friends. Of course, there was some truth in that—a lot of them had become friends throughout the commercial-series.

"Tifa, it's time! Go!" a crew member said, pushing her gently towards the door.

The double doors opened slowly, dramatically. Tifa took out her invitation card, making sure that the cameras captured it. The invitation said:

**Heart Locker : The Runway Show  
March 3, 2012  
Midgar Fashion Week  
OFFICIAL PASS**

"Very good Tifa! Now head over to where Cloud is!" Bart shouted. His knuckles were white against his chair's arm rests.

_Ba-thump. Ba-thump. _

The models moved and danced about, making it hard for Tifa to navigate her way to where Cloud was standing with his 'group of friends.' They were laughing and checking out girls to dance with. Cloud glanced at his watch and sighed.

"You're date's not here yet?" Zack asked, looking concerned. Aerith was standing right next to him wearing a pink dress with black lace details. Sephiroth had gone ballistic when she had finally asked him to stay away from her a few days ago. There were rumors that Sephiroth was hiding away in his house, reading all his books to cope. It was a pretty stupid rumor, but anybody without a brain would believe that.

"Nope, not yet." Cloud replied. He looked at his watch again.

Finally, the models let her pass. Tifa waved at Cloud and walked over to him with quick grace. "Hi, sorry I'm late." she said breathlessly.

_Why don't we run out here and check in in one of their rooms, huh? _

Cloud smiled gently and took her hand. "It's alright." Her hand was small, soft and delicate inside his slightly rough, big one. He'll never get tired of noticing that, for sure.

"And head out to the balcony!"

The couple walked slowly towards the balcony. Cloud was being careful, her shoes this time were really very high. He didn't want her to slip or something, not on his watch.

"And lean in closer to her Cloud!"

His hot breath fanned across her face. She could almost hear him breathing. He was not comfortable with onscreen kisses. She smiled, and closed her eyes.

"And cut!" Bart yelled. "That's a wrap everybody. Good work you two lovebirds! Where's the editing team?"

The director shook their hands and showered everybody involved with praise before heading over to the studio to start editing. This episode would be having a lot of graphics, he explained. The staff began to clean up the set, and the models started to file out of the ball room, to change out of their clothes.

The couple turned to face other when Lazard's shout made them jump out of their skins.

"Tifa! Come quick!" he shrieked. "Hurry!"

"Um, I'll be back." Tifa said, taking off her shoes and running towards her stylist. "What is it?"

Genesis was on the TV, looking really ruggedly hot. There were blaring words underneath him. 'GENESIS BREAKS HIS SILENCE!' He was wearing a tight black shirt and leather pants. Sure, you're making your fans hyperventilate, Tifa thought as she turned her head to look at Lazard.

"And so what if he's on TV?" she said nonchalantly.

"Don't tell me that you're not curious on how he's going to do his damage control." Lazard shot back.

"Alright. Maybe I am."

"Ssh, here it comes!"

"_Tifa was right. I was really against her hiatus plan, but it was only because I was looking out for her career." _ The crimson haired man said. The reporter asked if he was happy for her and if he has seen her pictures lately. Genesis laughed. _"Goddess no, I haven't seen any pictures of her lately. Sure, I'm happy for her. I hope she's happy." _

"Turn that thing off right now." Tifa said, turning away. Her mouth was set in a thin line. Her eyes were slightly narrowed. Did he honestly think that she was miserable without him? The bastard!

"Hey Tifa take deep breaths, alright?" Lazard said, smiling nervously.

"That…. that egotistic bastard!" she snarled. "I hope a spot light falls on him while he's singing!"

"Is… anything wrong?" Cloud's voice suddenly drifted towards her. He was standing in the doorway, with his arms crossed. There was a crease of worry on his face. His cool blue eyes were dewy, and he had not changed out of his outfit yet.

"Uh, no, no, everything's alright." Tifa said, smiling broadly. Her heart was still beating really fast, and she could feel her skin growing hot. Her breath was going back to its normal pace. But why did she feel like she wasn't getting anywhere near calm?

"Really?" he asked. "Okay then."

"Um, excuse me, but sir Bart wanted me to tell you that the whole team will be having a celebratory dinner later at the Hyperion at eight." a staff member said.

"Okay. Thank you." They replied. The staffer spared them one smile and then scurried off to tell the models.

-Hyperion, 8:30 PM

The restaurant had been completely rented out for the night by XY fashions to celebrate the ending of the commercial shoot. Hyperion was a restaurant and bar with a Greek mythology theme, thus the name. Hushed chatter and occasional laughter filled the air inside. It was warm and very cozy inside. People lounged at the leather seats and drank champagne. Others danced.

But the girl of the moment and her boyfriend were not there. Yet.

"Where's your pet, Rufus? She's not here yet. It's already eight-thirty!" Bart asked quietly.

"Excuse me, but did you just refer to Tifa as my _pet_?" Rufus snapped, looking up from his martini. The blonde shook his head and added. "She is not my pet, Bart. She is my star."

"Yeah, cut the cheesy lines will you? Where is she?"

"She'll be here in a few minutes. Why don't you get yourself a glass of champagne and relax, Bart?" Rufus said. "I assure you that Tifa is on her way." Ten minutes later, she and Cloud had arrived. Tifa and Cloud were wearing the same clothes they had worn during the shoot.

Ysabelle came in a little later. She was wearing a pink long-sleeved blouse and a long lavender skirt, matched with nude peep-toe pumps and diamond-encrusted gold jewelry. "Tifa darling!" she called out.

"Ysabelle!" Tifa said, walking towards the famous designer. They embraced and kissed each other's cheeks. "How are you? It's been so long since we last saw each other!"

"I know! Oh, darling, your line's a big success! Congratulations!" Ysabelle gushed. She tilted her head a little and looked at Cloud, who was standing right next to Tifa. "And you must be her inspiration. Cloud is your name, isn't it?"

"Y-yes ma'am. Uh…" Cloud stuttered.

"Oh don't get nervous around me, young man." Ysabelle laughed, playfully pinching his cheek. "Now I know why everybody's going crazy and why she's happy again. I saw the pictures, you know, and I think that you two are meant for each other!"

Tifa blushed and smiled at Ysabelle's words.

"Now, honey, the fashion week is just a week away. Do you think you can handle it? I know that the shootings' have really taken a toll on you and everybody else."

They chatted on about the upcoming show. Ysabelle couldn't stop gushing about how beautiful Tifa and Cloud looked together. When the fashion mogul finally moved on, probably to terrorize Bart, the couple let their biggest smiles emerge.

It was already three in the morning when the party finally died down. Cloud held Tifa close as they walked out of the restaurant. "Hey lovebirds! Look here!"

There was a paparazzo sitting on top of a tree, with his camera ready. Actually, he was already furiously snapping away.

"Hey! Stop that!" the security personnel said. "Come down at once!"

Cloud frowned at the pap before leading Tifa into the car. Genesis would have actually started to pose, and ask if his angle was good.

His arm lingered gently on her shoulder, but she still felt the heaviness of his arm, and it reassured her that she was safe. She leaned on his shoulder and let her eyes close. To fall asleep beside him felt like sleeping in a very warm place.

"Finally, some peace." Cloud sighed, before drifting off to sleep as well.

* * *

Author's Note:

OMG. You guys. I am so terribly sorry for being a neglecting author! I've really been busy with my requirements—mainly the thesis, but it's finished, so here chapter twenty-five is now! Anywho, hell week is just beginning, I've got to review for exams. Uh.. I've been in a very foul mood lately, mainly because I haven't been sleeping properly haha. I hope my temper didn't reflect on the chapter. ;)

I hope you guys liked it. Please don't forget to review!

*We're almost at the 200 reviews mark! AWESOME!

Love,

VictoriaChrystallis


	26. Great Idea

26: Great Idea

* * *

"Hey Cloud, what are you getting Tifa for her birthday?" Zack asked during breakfast. They were having bacon and eggs, paired with black coffee. The blonde froze chewing. "Mmphf?" he said then swallowed. "Birthday?"

"Duh Cloud. Her birthday's the day before the fashion week." his friend said. Zack roared with laughter. "What kind of boyfriend are you… not knowing your girlfriend's birthday! She'd break up with you if I hadn't asked you. Ha!"

The blonde hunched his shoulder and thought… _what could I possibly give somebody who already has almost everything? _"Zack…"

"What?"

"Help me."

"I knew you would say that bro. Don't worry, Zack's got you covered!"

"Somehow… I feel nervous with what you just said." Cloud mumbled as he thought of the disastrous gifts he had been given before. Zack stood up and put his plate on the sink. "Well we have tons of time before we head to HL. Why don't we go to the mall?"

"I don't think that she'll appreciate having something that a hundred other girls have too." Cloud told his friend.

"That's true… so… where do we go if you don't want to get her something from the mall?"

Cloud stared down at the floor, with arms crossed. His lips were set into a thin, straight line. "Maybe we can go to those specialty shops at Sector 7."

"Good call, lover boy. Let's go!"

_They were too early. _Almost every shop in Sector 7's shopping district was still closed. Most would be opening at ten, which was two hours away. The friends leaned on their motorbikes and crossed their arms.

"I've never been here before," Cloud said to himself as he looked around. Everywhere he looked, his eyes relished on gallant sights and displays. "I wonder how many times she's been here." He straightened up and walked towards the nearby shop. There were baubles and trench coats on display. Tifa would surely look wonderful in every one of those coats.

"Whatever you do, my man, don't get her a bracelet. Her ex already did that." Zack cautioned as Cloud studied the white bracelet. The bracelet had a dangling heart surrounded by arrows. Just like her brand's concept… somehow.

"Oh yeah…" Cloud muttered.

Giving her a bracelet could stir up some memories, and he didn't want her to get upset on her birthday. Cloud moved on to the neighboring store—it was shoe store. She loved shoes… the shoes on display were very pretty. But what was the size of her feet again? With a sigh, he walked on, forgetting Zack, who was busy doing some window shopping of his own.

It was already eleven o'clock, and they still haven't found anything for Tifa. Cloud was starting to lose hope in finding anything at all. Zack's phone started to ring.

"Hi baby~ good morning to you too!" the raven cooed.

Yep, that was definitely Aerith calling.

"Huh? Like, right now? I'm in Sector 7 baby, with Cloud. He's looking for a gift. I'll try to get there as soon as possible…. I love you too, bye bye."

Cloud didn't look up when his friend said that he had to leave. "Sure, it's alright. Your baby might cry if I keep you here any longer."

"I'll see you later at HL dude! Gotta go."

Well… Zack was useless—he hadn't even helped Cloud look for anything. Zack had gone off to look for a gift for his Aerith instead… Cloud walked out of Louis Vuitton empty handed. Those damn bags were too expensive… and yet Tifa had a dozen of them sitting in her closet!

"Ugh I might as well just forget about it." Cloud groaned as he looked up at the sky. The sun blazed and blinded him. He turned his face away from the sun and his eyes landed on a pair of earrings.

Cloud walked closer to examine the dainty little things that caught his eyes. "Oh these are awesome." _These are perfect. _

"Welcome to Van Cleef and Arpels jewels sir. May I help you?" the clerk said as he walked in.

"Yeah… um, I would like to see those earrings on display. The ones with the wing shape." He said nervously. This was the first time that he had set foot in a jewelry shop before. Brilliant precious stones embedded on either silver or gold dazzled before him.

"Here you are sir." The clerk said. He was an elderly man with neatly kept hair and a meticulously pressed suit. It was obvious that the clerk thought of Cloud as a rebel—in his jeans, leather jacket and shirt. His jeans were even ripped. How embarrassing. "This is the only pair we have in the store. There is nothing quite like it anywhere."

Cloud studied the shimmer of every stone. "How much is it?"

"Sixty-three thousand gil."

"Excuse me?" Cloud said, dumbfounded. "Can you repeat that? I didn't quite catch it."

"These beauties are worth sixty-three thousand gil, sir."

"Oh… uh…" _How much do I have on me? _"Let's see…" Cloud pulled out his wallet and counted the fat wad of bills in it. "Oh man… I only have ten thousand. Shit."

"You can have it reserved, if you really want it. But I suggest that you add at least twenty thousand more."

"Can't you give me a discount, mister? It's for my girlfriend's birthday…"

"No can do sir. Van Cleef's pieces are all authentic, that's why it is expensive. However, if you really want to buy her something like this, I suggest that you look at our other pieces."

"No… I'm getting this one." Cloud said. "I'll be back with the rest. Uh, where's the nearest ATM here?"

His heart was pounding so hard that he could hear it as he walked to the ATM. He was shelling out sixty-three thousand, for pete's sake! But… she would love them, and she would look really hot with them on.

_Riiing! _

'Good morning Cloud! Are you awake already? If so, don't forget to eat breakfast, okay? Love you! '

He smiled as he read her text.

'Good morning too, Teef! I already ate, don't skip yours. I'll see you later. I love you too! '

"Okay here's the rest, mister." Cloud said as he placed the thick wad of bills on top of the counter. The clerk raised an eyebrow and nodded. He was probably thinking that Cloud was a rich boy in disguise or a Mafioso.

"Alright. Would you like the box to be personalized, sir? We can emboss her name on the lid with silver."

"Is that free?"

"Of course. It's our specialty. Kindly spell out her name here then, sir."

"Oh no need. I think you've heard of her."

"Really?"

"Just put T-I-F-A there."

"Tifa…" the clerk muttered. "Ah yes… I remember her. Mr. Rhapsodos had a bracelet commissioned for her here before."

Cloud gritted his teeth. "On second thought I won't have her name embossed."

"Okay. Then… here you are sir."

"Thanks."

Cloud took the box and walked out of the shop, feeling lighter. Happy. Fulfilled. Was finding something nice for the someone you love really this good? Whatever… he just felt great.

_Vroom, vroom. _It was time to head over to Heart Locker's rehearsals.

Or maybe he'll just grab a some food on the way. He is pretty hungry already.

Zack didn't let him finish his food earlier, after all.

Maybe he'll call Tifa to join him for lunch at the Kraft Kiosk later.

That seems like a better idea.

It definitely is.

* * *

"Hi Cloud," Tifa said as she took her seat in front of him. She was wearing a blue tank top paired with acid washed jeans and flat leather boots.

How did I ever get so lucky? he asked himself mentally as he smiled at his girlfriend.

"Hey." Cloud replied. "So... uh, what would you like for lunch? It's on me."

"Um..." Tifa muttered. There kiosk didn't really give them both a lot of choices. There were only paos, burgers, finger food and shakes available. Suddenly eating in the kiosk didn't sound so great to Cloud. He was being a lame boyfriend. A very lame boyfriend.

"I'll have a double cheese burger with watermelon shake, Cloud." she replied after a few more moments. Tifa smiled him her mesmerizing smile before he nodded.

"I'll have the same things then." he said.

Later, when their burgers had been prepared, the couple ate with gusto. "You know... for a very sexy woman, you sure have an appetite." he told her.

Tifa blushed.

He hoped that she had not felt offended.

She laughed. "And you've got ketchup on the side of your mouth!"

"Huh! Where?" he asked frantically.

"Here..." Tifa whispered as she wiped it off his face with a tissue.

"Er.. thanks."

Tifa laughed again.

Having lunch at the kiosk was suddenly a great idea.

* * *

**Author's note:**

I've only got six days more before I kiss my high school days goodbye. I think I'm ready and I think I'm not. I'm stuck in a very… complicated mindset here.

Anyway~ I hope you enjoyed this chapter about Cloud, haha! Don't forget to review!

-I was planning on ending this fic on my graduation, but I think I won't. Don't worry. There's more chapters to wait for! Thank you for your unending support and patience, guys!

Victoria Chrystallis


	27. Blessed

27: Blessed

* * *

Tifa woke up that morning with a permanent smile etched on her mouth. "Happy birthday," she whispered to herself as she got up from bed. The scent of the coffee mingling with the bacons' was delightful. Outside, her pool shimmered like it was full of diamonds. A butterfly fluttered past and rested on top of a rose. Her phone rang.

"Hello Cloud… good morning!" she said.

"_Good morning, Teef…um… happy birthday!_" he said. Cloud's voice was warm, and it dripped with sleepiness. She could tell that he had just woken up. "_I love you_."

"Aww… thanks Cloud. I love you too!"

He chuckled a little, then yawned. "Wait for me there. I'll come over and pick you up, okay?"

"Alright."

"Later then."

"Later…"

Half an hour passed before she heard his Fenrir revving towards her home. It was pretty normal for Tifa to rush to her door whenever she hears his motorbike coming. Like a little girl, or something. She felt really wonderful whenever this happens. Cloud disembarked from his bike, and waved to her before he took off his helmet. He was wearing an all-black outfit again. He had a leather jacket on. He was Gaiadamned sexy in it.

Tifa half ran to meet him at the middle of her pathway. Cloud pulled her close and embraced her. "Happy birthday again," he whispered. "Thank you, again." Tifa giggled in his ear.

He pulled away from her and pecked her cheek. "We need to go to the Lexington Square now, huh?"

"Yeah…let me just get my bag."

"Okay."

Lexington Square was bustling with busybodies by the time that the couple arrived. It was the day before the show, and everybody had to make sure that everything would work as planned. Rufus and Lazard met them at the backdoor, where they were entering.

"Happy birthday darling girl!" Lazard said, embracing Tifa like an affectionate mother. He kissed both her cheeks and handed her a small package. "This is for you."

"Thank you Lazard."

"I reserved the Y Bar for us later tonight." Rufus said. "Who do you want to invite for the party? Of course, aside from the ones working with us today…" he murmured.

"I'll tell you who before lunch time, I promise."

When they entered, the staffers stopped their chatter and work and greeted Tifa a happy birthday. There was a small cake, covered in vanilla icing, with a single candle. "Make a wish," the one holding it for her whispered.

Make a wish? Tifa thought. What could she possibly ask for now? She's got more than what she had originally hoped for. She glanced at Cloud and smiled, and then her eyes flickered towards her staff. Her risks were worth it. Maybe running away had its advantages sometimes, after all. Oh Tifa, stop it, just blow the candle already...

With a huff, she blew out the single, tiny flame and everybody clapped for her. They sang her a short happy birthday then Rufus ordered them to return to work, the celebration would continue afterwards. The couple walked backstage, hand in hand.

"Do you have the final list of songs, Dionne?" she asked.

The younger man turned to her and let his green eyes meet hers. "Yep," he answered. "would you like to hear the final arrangement? I kind of mixed them all together…"

Tifa nodded and took the headset from the sound engineer. It was a forty-eight-minute remix, and it was brilliantly done. "Dionne this is very good!" she said after listening to the track. "The melodramatic violin intro was an almost tearjerker, you know. Then the slow, upbeat rhythms come in… I just love it. It just… just… makes me want to ignore the whole world around me… oh Gaia…"

"Er. I know. It's nice." Dionne deadpanned. "So… is this the one? I mean… I think I messed up at 18:30 or 32, haha."

"No, you totally did not mess up. I'm sure that the crowd will love it."

Rufus cleared his throat and said, "Then… shall we execute the final rehearsal?"

Everything went smoothly that afternoon. The rehearsal ended after exactly forty-seven and fifty seconds. The runway was covered in red glitters and silver-spray painted rose petals. Heart Locker's logo holograms would be flashed at the side of the runway during the show. The staff watched the lights and holograms being adjusted according to the collection. Heart Locker was all set for tomorrow.

"Alright everybody. It's celebration time!" Rufus announced.

Clinks of glasses and loud laughter resonated from inside the club. Y Club had been closed down especially for their group that night, just as Rufus had promised.

"Sorry we're late, Tifa!" Aerith quickly amended as she and Zack entered. The bubbly brunette held a huge bouquet in her arms. "These are for you. Happy birthday!"

"It's okay, Aerith. Thank you, it's so beautiful!" The two girls embraced. "Though… I was kind of worried when you two disappeared after the rehearsals." Tifa laughed as they sat down.

Somebody asked the group to quiet down. "Alright… before we start eating, why don't we give Tifa our messages?" Lazard said with a cheery tone. "I'll go first. Alright?" Everybody nodded. He took a deep breath. "Okay… here it goes. When I first met Tifa, it was a rather sad Saturday morning. Well, I think the weather was sad. Whatevs. Anyway, it's been five years, and let me tell you darling, that I have loved every second of the time we spent together. You're my Barbie doll. My baby. The daughter I don't have yet. I love you in that way, so if Cloud here ever makes you cry, just come to me and I'll show him how sorry he'll be. Kidding aside, I hope that you continue to reach greater heights, to reach things beyond your dreams. I pray that you and Cloud carry on and get stronger as time passes. Happy birthday baby girl!"

When Lazard took his seat, Rufus stood up. "Hmm… well, happy birthday, Tifa. Congratulations on breaking out of your shell, on becoming who you want to be. I know that we have had our ups and downs, and that we had more downs than ups, but I'm happy that you didn't let disappointment and the monsters get to you. I'm sorry if I was really annoying in the past, but that was only to ensure your future in this harsh world you're in right now. Gaia, I sound so out of character, but keep up the good work, Tifa. We will always be behind you if you ever need help."

Shelly, one of the staffers, stood up. Tifa could remember that she had brought her coffee during one of the preparations. "Um... first of all, happy birthday miss Tifa. I just feel so honored to be greeting you happy birthday face to face, you know? I always thought you were just like the other stars I had worked with before, snobby with diva personalities. But… you're so different, you know? You're very nice, very helpful. May Gaia bless you always. H-happy birthday!"

Tifa smiled and nodded at Shelly, who awkwardly smiled back. Still starstruck.

"Hey, Cloud hasn't spoken a word yet!"

"Oh yeah!" the rest agreed.

"Oh no… I'd rather not." Cloud muttered under his breath. Tifa looked up at him expectantly. He scratched his head and frowned. "Nervous?" Tifa whispered.

"No I'm not nervous." He answered. "It's just that I can't find the right words to tell you how happy I am that I'm celebrating your birthday with you. Um, a year ago, you and I didn't know each other. We were living separate worlds. I was a delivery boy and you're this unreachable star. But I never knew that we would become friends. I felt like the luckiest guy on the Planet because we were friends. Then when you went away and came to me when you got back, I was really honored. And now… I…"

"Oh cut it out you!" Zack laughed. "We're all starting to swoon here!"

"Zack, let Cloud have his moment," Aerith said.

"Sorry."

Cloud chuckled. "And now that we're together, I couldn't ask for anything more. I wish you all the best and happiness. I hope that I will always make you smile, and if I disappoint you, tell me. I would do anything to make you happy… so…"

Tifa shut him up with a quick kiss. The crowd erupted in cheers.

"I'm pretty sure that you're all hungry, so let's eat!" she announced shortly after.

Farewells drifted around the chilly midnight air as cabs were hailed. Tifa's group slowly lessened until the couple remained. Tifa was very sleepy thanks to all the wine she's had. Cloud was the sober one, and so, he led the way to her car.

"I'll drive, okay?" he said the moment they reached the SUV. Tifa fell asleep a minute after Cloud started to drive. It was a quiet ride, and Cloud appreciated the momentary peace. His ears were still ringing from all the loud music in the club.

There were very few motorists driving around—he saw more cabs than private cars. He wondered if he and Zack could go racing for fun here someday. Hopefully.

When they arrived in her home, Tifa did not wake up so Cloud had to carry her out.

"Oomph," he breathed. She was quite heavy despite her form. But she sure was soft. How many times had he thought that? Cloud stumbled through his girlfriend's dark home, hitting his thigh against a table. It fucking hurt! "Tifa," he whispered, shaking her gently to rouse her. "Tifa, wake up… hey, wake up."

Tifa groaned and blinked her eyes. "Y…yeah?" she stuttered.

"Where are the light switches?" he asked.

She groaned again and pointed behind him. "Oh… alright. Thanks."

"You can put me down you know."

"Right."

He set her down on her feet and turned on the lights. She was swaying a little from sleep. Cloud rushed to assist her again, and steered her towards the stairs. Tifa practically fell on her bed. He lifted the duvet to tuck her in and kissed her forehead. "Sleep well." he whispered.

Just as he was about to stand up and leave, she grabbed his wrist and pulled him back. "Stay," she whispered.

"Okay." Cloud answered. "Just let me lock the front door."

"M'kay."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**HEY HEY HEY! FINALLY. I'VE UPDATED. Sorry about the long wait, I know you want to strangle me. Anyway, this is the last summer of high school. I graduated last March 27. Then I hit the beach. Three, actually. Then the hospital. Apparently, oysters are deadly for me. How'd you like this update? Can it appease you? **

**Don't forget to review okay? **

**Victoria **


	28. Finally

28: Finally

* * *

_Warning: Slightly mature content. Okay, slash '_slightly_'._

* * *

"Ten minutes till lights out. Where are the models? Have them line up in the right side of the stage _now_!" Rufus ordered through the walky-talky. Loud music was blaring from the speakers, the onlookers were all fidgeting on their seats, waiting to finally see the controversial line's presentation. Backstage, none of the models and stylists heard anything coherent but their own words.

'I need hair spray!'

'I need a new bottle of nail polish!'

Organized chaos was the right way to describe it, Tifa mused as she watched the models and staff scurrying about. The first collection was the casual street apparel, consisting of leather biker jackets, distressed jeans. Cloud and she would be walking down the runway in a few minutes. He was wearing a red leather jacket with spike studs on the shoulders, a gray shirt and distressed jeans paired with boots, while she would be sporting a similar jacket—only its studs were smaller and in black—then a stark white shirt with the word 'hi' embossed on it and distressed shorts, paired with knee-high studded boots.

"Feeling nervous?" she asked her boyfriend.

Cloud looked up at her and smiled a little. "Yeah. I mean… I might fuck up out there."

She laughed at him and punched his arm playfully. "Don't be. Just think of the time you were bravest, and you'll be alright. Plus, you sound like a girl worrying about your walking skills."

"Sure. I'll be beside you anyway," he whispered.

"Yep."

He studied her face for a minute before saying, "Those earrings don't go with your outfit, you know."

Tifa frowned. Well, this was the first time he had ever said anything like that. "What? Really?"

"Yeah," Cloud said while grinning. "Um." he paused, looking down at the floor. "I got you a birthday present but I forgot to give it to you, so…" he grabbed his ever present backpack and produced a small box. "Here," he said. Tifa took the box slowly.

_Oh. This box is familiar. _

"Oh my gosh Cloud they're so pretty!" she exclaimed at the sight of the earrings. "Thank you very much!" In a moment, the diamond wing-drop earrings were on her ears, shimmering pleasantly.

"_Thirty seconds. I don't see Tifa and Cloud!_" Rufus roared to the walky-talky.

"_Tifa and Cloud are on the move," _replied Lazard lazily. The stylist sighed deeply. "_Finally, round one is over._"

Dionne had made a last minute playlist change. He said that he did not feel like the remix was right for the 'diverse themes of the show'. Tifa let him go ahead and change the tracks, of course.

"Go," Rufus told the first pair of models and My Chemical Romance's _Save Yourself, I'll Hold Them Back _started to play. When she reached the end of the runway, Rufus released the next two. There were twenty-eight models walking in this collection. Black Veil Bride's _Rebel Love Song _was the last track for the collection. The collection took fifteen minutes and ten seconds.

As expected, the audience erupted in cheer as Tifa and Cloud emerged onto the runway, holding hands. Editors-in-chief of various fashion magazines were sitting in the front row, their eyebrows high on their wrinkle-free foreheads (well, three had blunt bangs.) She saw almost everybody from the industry there, sitting and watching her. Among them was Cissnei, wearing a sapphire blue frock. Cissnei looked up and caught Tifa's eye, then smiled gingerly.

When they reached the changing tent, it was chaos again. The second collection consisted of the smart casuals. Kelly Clarkson's _What Doesn't Kill You (Stronger) _opened the second show.

"Those aren't the earrings I made you wear earlier," Lazard observed as he brushed her hair.

"No, these aren't. These are from Cloud. They're nice, aren't they?" she answered.

"They're pretty."

Gotye's _Somebody I Used To Know _played and Cloud rushed to the runway. Tifa would only be walking the runway twice—at the beginning and at the end. During the party collection, a remix of Katy Perry's _ET by Noisia _blared through the room. Tifa sneaked a peak, and saw some minders bobbing their heads to the beat. Dionne had picked nice songs, she thought. Some of the members of the audience squealed at the sight of Cloud returning to the runway for the third time, but it was Aerith, wearing her pink sequined dress, who caught the eyes of the onlookers at the second track, _We Found Love_ by Rihanna.

Forty minutes seemed to have passed too quickly, Tifa thought as she walked in between the two lines of models. Everybody was clapping for her. She had not changed out of her casual street clothes. Cloud stood at the very front of the line.

"Thank you!" Tifa mouthed, her voice having developed a difficulty in leaving her lips. She waved and bowed her head, smiling broadly. Cloud took her hand and she looked up at him. "Congrats," he whispered, his smile mirroring hers. Without waiting for another moment to pass, he leaned in to claim her lips. The kiss earned louder clapping. Her heart was hammering against her chest's confines again, making her unaware of the deafening applause for an instant.

She smiled at him before they began walking back, followed by the rest of the models. Once they were backstage, the staff's cheers were even more deafening. Rufus had shaken a bottle of champagne and sent its cork flying… spraying the unfortunate employees beside him—namely Lazard and Shelly, with it. It was really bizarre to see Rufus behaving that way. Tifa had only been expecting a curt smile and congratulations with a bouquet of flowers, to be honest.

"So, how was it?" she asked as they zipped through the highway with the Fenrir. They had declined the Mercedes and security detail after the party, albeit the thick throngs of paparazzi waiting outside. The couple's adrenaline rush had still not gone down.

Cloud sped up a bit then cut past a Hummer. "It was awesome, now that it's over, but let's get something clear here, Teef. I'm never going to walk the in a fashion show ever again."

She laughed. "That's cool with me. You kept slouching. Slouching is a taboo for models."

"Aw man, you noticed?"

"Duh. You'll need more workshops and lessons."

"Lessons? Workshops?"

"If you want to continue being a runway model. Your poses are fine."

"Ah, thanks."

"You were aware that the entire show was televised right?"

"Like the Victoria's Secret fashion show?"

"Uh-huh."

"Cool. Zack and I watched those. In TV, of course… You were there on the sidelines before, weren't you?" he said.

"Yep. The production manager of the show works for VS, he's a close friend of Ysabelle, that's why the show was more than a fashion show." Tifa frowned. She'd watched the VS show together with Genesis and they didn't talk until the show was over—he was too busy having his eyes glued to the scantily-clad supermodels. "Did you see Cissnei?"

"Oh…um, I think I did."

Tifa buried her head on the crook his shoulder, watching the blurred lines of the road zip past. Cissnei was there. The girl had some nerve showing up in her territory. But, Tifa should not be worried. Cissnei was there to watch the show—not look for another man to steal. She was sure that Cloud was far more loyal than the past man in her life.

"Is something wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong." she replied, shaking off the fear she was feeling. She knew that Cloud would not be swayed by any seductress. But…

"Are you thinking of Cissnei?" Cloud asked. He heaved a sigh. "Don't worry. You're the one I love. Have faith in me, like I have faith in you." The Fenrir shuddered to a stop, and she knew that they were in front of her house. She swung one leg over to get off, not really expecting that he would be staying tonight.

"Good night," she said quietly.

He stared at her for a moment, searching for something. He got off the Fenrir and smiled. "You're sending me away so soon." His arm snaked around her waist and he pulled her closer to him.

"I wasn't sure whether you wanted to stay. I thought you were very tired…aren't you?" she asked.

He shook his head and she pulled him towards the house. The moment she'd locked the door, he put his arms around her again, smiled his blue-eyed smile and bent down to kiss her. The kiss was not gentle nor rough, it was hungry. He pressed gently against her, his erection connecting touching her belly. It had been so long since she last felt how a man's body reacted with hers… Lowering her hand between them, she let the back of her fingers brush over him. He sucked in his breath.

"Jeez, girl," he said. "You are shameless."

"I'm sorry."

"My fault…" Cloud said.

Tifa burst laughing after a moment. "You go upstairs, I'll meet you there in a minute. Can I… can I get you anything to drink?" she said, feeling all fussy inside, like some nervous virgin.

"No thanks." he said, looking at her straight in her eyes.

Upstairs, he pulled the shade in her bedroom, and he room filled with pale, warm light. The bed was neatly made, as he had watched her do so that morning. Tonight was the night. He didn't know why he was suddenly in the mood, but he couldn't just ignore his need… Was he asking too much of her? What if… she wasn't in for it?

"I'm coming, don't give up on me!" she called. Cloud heard her footsteps on the stairs and in a moment, she appeared in the doorway. She couldn't help but grin as she walked towards him.

She lay down next to him, rolling onto her side. He touched her cheek then smoothed her hair. "You are so beautiful," he whispered. "You're so precious to me, do you know that?"

"I feel the same way," she said. Her voice felt thick.

He bent over to kiss her and she pulled his shirt over his head as he drew away. She watched him quickly undressing. Once he was done, he took the pleasure of undoing her. "You are so breathtaking," he muttered. She closed her eyes and let the electricity flow through her body.

They made love until the wee hours of the morning. Afterwards, they cuddled. They spoke no words, not wanting the spell to be broken. Cloud ran his finger down her arm. His touch was… light, gentle. The sensations still lingered. Tifa finally turned her head to face him. "You know, that was…"

"Shh," he said, placing his finger on her lips. She kissed them and put them away.

"You know, I bought this house because of one reason. You wanna know that?"

"Okay," Cloud said.

Tifa got up from the bed, crossed the room to retrieve a robe from her closet. "Follow me," she said as soon he had buttoned his pants. She led him to her rooftop, which he had never set foot on before. The dark starlit sky was beginning to lighten up. The sun was rising, and it was extremely cold. Cloud wondered if she was feeling cold.

"I'll make coffee." Tifa said, a smile flashed quickly. "Do you want to stay here a little longer? I'll be back in a jiffy."

"No, I think I'll help you make coffee."

"Alright." They went back inside, to the warm house. She turned on the radio to fill their silence. Mellow music resonated from its speakers, which set the perfect mood for the groggy—not to mention very tired—couple. Tifa opened the fridge and asked, "Which jam would you prefer? Raspberry or Blueberry?"

"Blueberry's fine by me." Cloud answered, as he took out a loaf of bread. "How would you like your bread? Toasted with the crust cut out?"

"I prefer my crust intact." Tifa said. "We're discussing breakfast like a married couple."

"I know right?" he laughed, reaching out to take her hand. "We'd better hurry up or we'll miss the sunrise."

"Yeah," Tifa said.

The sky was already sporting a light yellow tint by the time they came back up to the rooftop. He set the tray down on the table. "Now I know why you love this place," he said.

"I'm loving it even more now," she whispered, looking up at him.

He nodded. "Let's chow before the food and coffee gets cold."

* * *

**Author's Note: Okay, is that long enough for ye? I'm sorry I wasn't able to submit this chapter earlier, I had to go out of town. I think… I am an awkward author when it comes to love scenes. Do you or do you not agree? I found it extremely awkward to imagine them getting it on, even though I was all alone, honestly. **

**Please don't forget to review. **

**Victoria Chrystallis**


	29. Awkward

29:

* * *

It's been four months since the grand launch of her clothing line, since they first came together, Tifa thought as she poured herself a bowl of cereal that morning. She hadn't noticed how much time had passed since then, to be honest. The television was on, just to fill the silence in her home. She ate her breakfast silently, not really focusing on what was in the TV.

What was she going to do today, she wondered. Mornings this quiet were extremely rare for her especially since she'd returned in the glitzy world of showbiz. There were engagements, interviews and parties to attend everywhere. She had redeemed her 'it girl' status again and this time, she was enjoying it more. Cloud too, has been getting endorsement offers and had landed a leading role in a movie.

Her bowl was empty. Tifa stood up and took her sweet time washing the bowl and spoon.

"And today, rockstar Genesis Rhapsodos returned to Midgar last night, upon the end of his second world wide tour, LOVELESS II ." a talk show host suddenly announced, causing Tifa to pause. "We have an official footage of his arrival and a short interview…"

"Hey Genesis, welcome back," the camera man said lazily, his camera aimed directly at Genesis, who was walking towards his waiting sports car.

"Yeah, yeah, thanks." Genesis replied, obviously not interested in having a conversation. Most famous people were not interested with anything especially when they'd gotten off a long flight.

"So uh, how was your concert?" the camera man asked again, trying to lengthen the air time. There were no fans screaming out Genesis's name—that was the specialty of his staff.

"It was great, I had tons of fun with my fans." Genesis answered, and Tifa rolled her eyes. "The energy was definitely stronger than the last time." He had already reached the sedan, and his body guard was already holding the door open for him. "Well… see you."

"Yeah, thanks man." said the camera man.

"Well… that was a waste of time," Tifa muttered and turned the TV off. So Genesis was back. Her heart thudded with the dread of running into him someday in some soiree. She wasn't ready to meet the first man who had broken her heart, let alone be in the same room with him. No. It was impossible.

Her phone's familiar rings reverberated, snapping her out of her reverie. Rufus was calling. "Good morning. What is it?" she said calmly, not letting her panic show.

"Tifa, did you watch Celebrity Plus?"

"Uh yeah, I did so you don't have to tell me he's back." Tifa deadpanned. "He's still very rude as ever."

"Ha, yes, indeed. Anyway, I called for a different reason, darling."

"Really?"

"Yes. Hasn't your boyfriend told you yet?"

"No. He hasn't told me anything. What is it?" Tifa asked, growing a little impatient. What was Cloud's big news, and why hasn't he said anything to her yet?

Rufus only chuckled. "I'll let Cloud tell you. I wouldn't want to spoil his surprise. Okay, bye."

* * *

Cloud held the script in his hands, stared at the cover page and felt the paper's texture. He savored the moment for while. Rufus had called him out and given him the script last night, telling him to read it and call him up if he wanted to take the role. So far, he had already read half of it. It was pretty cool. He looked up and wondered if she already knew.

A loud bang outside pulled him out of his reverie and into an involuntary jump. "What the heck?" Cloud muttered as he rushed out to check out the cause of the noise. It would have been normal to hear rackets in his old neighborhood, but now that he was in a more… luxurious…environment, it was odd. He looked out of the window and saw a broken flower pot. A cat must have tipped it over. With a shrug, Cloud hurried to call his lady love.

"Hey," Tifa said. "I was wondering when you would call."

"Did Rufus tell you something?"

"He called earlier and asked me if you had told me already. What are you supposed to tell me?"

Cloud smiled and said, "Rufus gave me a script. Can you believe it?"

"Congratulations Cloud!" she gasped. "Wow! That's great! Am I allowed to know the plot of your project yet?" she laughed softly.

"You know I'll never keep anything from you." Cloud replied, chuckling. "Say… I'll tell you over dinner?"

"My place?" Tifa asked.

"No, tonight's going to be special. How does the Vinotecca sound?"

"Alright, I'll see you later."

"Uh-huh."

* * *

The couple arrived in the restaurant to find its entrance crowded with paparazzi. Vinotecca was opened ninety years ago, and is popular with celebrities and high ranking members of the society. To get in the restaurant, one would have to make an advance reservation.

Upon hearing the roar of the Fenrir, the thick throngs of paparazzi parted to let them pass. Furious clicking and flashing of lights ensued the moment they zipped in. When the Fenrir eased its roar to a soft purr, Cloud escorted Tifa down and handed the key to the valet. They smiled for them for a moment to avoid being called rude and headed in. Tifa wore black shirt and acid washed jeans, paired with high heeled black boots and the earrings he'd given her.

Inside the restaurant, they were led to the back, near the window. When the waiter left, Tifa asked him. "So what's the story?"

"I'm bad at summarizing stuff." Cloud groaned. "But anyway, I'll tell you. The movie's called Stay Awake. A strange virus suddenly spreads in the whole world, that causes people to lose their humanity and emotions. The virus can be transmitted through the transfer of fluids—like kissing or sex, through injection. My character is one of the two people who are immune. In the movie, I have a sister. I don't know who she is yet. We have to find the cure to save the world. Pretty cool plot, isn't it?"

Tifa grinned. "Not pretty cool. It's so cool! Congratulations Cloud!"

He nodded and reached for her hand. "I know, this is my first movie. I'm so nervous. Do you know where they want to shoot this?"

"No. Where?"

"I don't know yet, but it sounds like they're going to shut down cities a lot."

"Sounds like a big movie, I'm so proud of you."

The waiter came back to ask for their orders. They ordered for well-done steak and red wine, then two vanilla sundaes to follow. Gasps suddenly emanated from the other diners. Tifa and Cloud turned their heads to see who caused the sudden hush. Her eyes widened.

Carefully tousled hair, red leather coat…

"…Genesis!"

She looked at Cloud and closed her eyes. Of all the places that guy could dine in… why did he choose Vinetocca? Tifa thought angrily. Genesis walked towards the table next to theirs. He was with his manager.

"Oh look who's here too!" Genesis said with a million gil smile. "Tifa!"

Tifa looked up at Genesis with difficulty and nodded. "Hello," she said quietly. Her hand was still clasped in Cloud's. She looked away from the auburn haired man and smiled at Cloud instead. She could feel her face growing hot. Tonight was beyond awkward.

When their orders arrived, the couple ate quietly, while Genesis talked loudly. Tifa tried to block her ex's annoying voice out, but his voice was too loud. She placed her fork and steak knife down and took a sip of wine.

Cloud looked at her. "Tifa? Do you want to go home?"

She nodded. "Yeah."

"Okay, don't worry." Cloud said, raised his hand and asked the waiter for the bill. Genesis glanced at Tifa and held the gaze for a moment. "I think I need to go to the comfort room for a little while. Excuse me." Tifa told him.

In the ladies', Tifa washed her hands and stared at her reflection. Her cheeks harbored the slightest shade of pink. She frowned—being around Genesis made her feel awkward and conscious still. She shouldn't be feeling like this. And the way his eyes wandered to her didn't help calm her jangling nerves. With a sigh, she dried her hands and left the ladies' comfort room.

"Oh, sorry." Tifa said when she hit somebody as she walked back. "I wasn't looking…"

A familiar voice chuckled. "Oh really now, Tifa?"

She looked up. _Ba-thump_.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" Genesis said, his eyes studying her from head to toe. "You look great."

Tifa stared at him and murmured 'excuse me' then continued walking away. He grabbed her elbow and pulled her back in front of him. "You're still angry with me?"

"My boyfriend is waiting for me. Let me go, Gen." she told him.

Genesis laughed. "You're serious with him? I thought you only hooked up with him to bother me." His eyes held hers. "Nothing really happened with me and Cissnei."

"Get over it, Genesis. We're finished. I'm happy with Cloud." Tifa told him. "Please let me go Gen. He's waiting for me."

He stepped aside. "I'll be waiting for the day you realize he's immature and come back to me."

"Believe me, that day won't happen." Tifa snapped.

Cloud looked up when she arrived and stood up. "Shall we?" he said with a smile. Tifa nodded and took his hand. Walking side by side with him calmed her down. Should she tell him that Genesis had cornered her?

"Okay, let's go." He said when he revved the motorcycle. Tifa wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face on the crook of his shoulder. His motorcycle has also become an issue with other people. They said that it wasn't stylish and cheap, but others commented that it made him look cool and bad ass. Cloud shrugged at the issue, saying that he wasn't interested in getting a car yet.

"I love you," she whispered, tightening her embrace on his waist.

"I love you too." he replied and sped up.

* * *

**Author's Note: **_Hey! Thanks for reading again, and for being patient. I finally got my tan, aha. Oh…and here's another awkward scene I am positive I didn't write so well. Sigh. Why do I lack self-confidence so much? If you review, my self-confidence just might increase, aha._

_Ciao!_

_Victoria _


	30. Ladies' Night Out

Thirty:

* * *

Thirty more minutes.

Tifa glanced at Cloud, who was sitting right beside her. His head was resting on his palm, and his eyes were shut, as if he were thinking about something really hard. In his other hand, was hers. The cityscape whizzed past them, there were clueless people walking in the sidewalk. A child ran with them.

Twenty minutes more…

"Hey," he suddenly said, opening his eyes.

"Hmm?" she mumbled as she smiled. Tifa did not let go of his hand. She was afraid to let it go, actually. She was beginning to feel her chest ache. Since when had she had difficulty with separation? This was only temporary, for a few months, then he'd be back home…with her. Why did she feel like telling him not to go?

Cloud smiled. "Don't feel so sad, Teef. I don't want to be this far away from you, really." He leaned closer and kissed her on the lips. "I'm going to miss you an awful lot. Rufus said the director wouldn't allow us to use phones during the entire filming."

"Your director is awfully strict. My directors never set any rules like that before." Tifa whispered. "Maybe when my schedule permits it, I'll visit you. Rufus will update me where you're filming."

He smiled. "I'll be waiting."

Ten minutes.

Flights heading to the Northern Continent were already boarding when they arrived at the airport. There wasn't much time for them to talk anymore as Cloud and Rufus rushed to get to their flight. "I'll see you soon Tifa," Cloud whispered before they entered the terminal. He pulled her close and embraced her. "I love you."

"Have a safe trip." Tifa told them. "Bye guys."

When she could no longer see her boyfriend's gravity-defying blonde spikes, she turned around and headed back to the car. With her hands dug deep in her jacket's pockets, she wondered what she would do for the rest of the day. A hundred busybodies dodged and stared at her and took pictures. A few approached her for a picture and autograph. She smiled at everybody, glad for the attention. She'll mope around in her house later.

Tifa felt her happiness ebb away as soon as the driver closed the car's door with a silent click. It must have been because she was reminded that she was going to be away from her loved one for months or that she felt alone again. It could have been both. She was going to feel so completely alone without him. She heaved out a sigh. "Where are we going now, miss?"

She opened her eyes and told the chauffeur to drive to the mall. A little retail therapy could help ease the sadness, right?

A new leather jacket and pair of spiked stilettos later, Tifa went home feeling a little upbeat.

"What are you doing here Lazard?" she asked her stylist the moment she saw him sitting on her couch, browsing a magazine. She had had a sudden mini heart attack when she opened the door to find her stylist inside. Then she remembered that both Lazard and Rufus had access to her house.

He looked up at her and said, "You're going to have dinner with madame Ysabelle tonight. She asked to tell you since you weren't answering your phone." His eyes wandered to the shopping bags she held. "Ah, I see. Then… shall we get started?"

She looked up at her friend slash stylist. "Lazard, I'd like to rest for a moment. I've been walking all morning." In all honesty, she wasn't really in the mood to do anything but to eat ice cream and watch some movie in the TV. She wanted to be all by herself. "Do you know why Ysabelle wants to have dinner with me?" Tifa had already come up with reasons why her partner wanted to see her… maybe she wanted to discuss the sales, or to tell her to start designing another collection. Both reasons seemed believable, and she just wanted to consider them. Lazard only shrugged and snooped in the bags. "Oh these will go perfectly with the dress Ysabelle had given you."

There was nothing else to look at but the glittering, tiny stars above her head as they rode towards the restaurant where Ysabelle would be waiting. Tifa's eyes cast downward to her lap, where her phone lay quietly. She wondered whether he had forgotten to call her the moment he landed. Her heart palpitated. No, she thought. Why was she being so paranoid? Cloud was with Rufus. Her boyfriend is in good hands. Or maybe the director had already asked him to turn over his cellphone the moment he arrived on set?

"We're here, miss." the chauffeur said.

Tifa looked out of the window again and studied the building in front of her. It didn't look grand. In fact, it looked like a cheap canteen, not a restaurant where fashion industry moguls dine. The walls' blue paint was beginning to peel off, one of the windows were broken and covered with a sheet. "Are you sure that we're in the right street?" she asked her driver. "This doesn't seem to be a restaurant." Her chauffeur looked at her and nodded. "I'm positive, miss Lockhart."

She looked at herself. She was overdressed! "Um, I'll go see then."

Her brand new stilettos were in the wrong place. The asphalt leading to the restaurant wasn't even and there were small cracks. "Ah there you are Tifa!" a familiar voice called. Tifa turned her head to see Ysabelle standing at the doorway, dressed in a simple skirt and blouse, kitten heeled shoes. "Oh my, my… it seems that your heels are too high for a simple dinner with a friend. But oh well, a woman's shoes defines where she is headed. Hurry now sweetie."

The moment Tifa set her eyes in the small restaurant's interior, she remembered that old saying—never judge a book by its cover. The floor was completely made of highly polished marble, the walls were covered with vintage paintings. "Yoohoo, over here darling!" Ysabelle called from the very back. Every table in the restaurant was of mahogany and each harbored intricate carvings.

"So how do you like my restaurant?" the older woman asked. Tifa smiled as she took her seat. "It's a very nice place. I never knew you had a restaurant Ysabelle."

"Oh, very few people know about my humble resto. Only my close friends are allowed inside." Ysabelle explained, waving a hand full of rings elegantly. "This isn't open to the public, as you see. That's why I didn't bother having the outside fixed, to draw away people. Ah Luke, would you please come over?"

A lanky, but very good looking young man wearing a crisp white shirt and meticulously pressed black slacks approached them. Ysabelle looked up at the waiter and asked, "What would the chef be serving us tonight?"

"Mini Osaka crab cakes, lobster ravioli, scallop teriyaki and mixed veggie teriyaki, madame. Would you like to add anything else?" Luke answered.

"Would you like anything else, sweetie? I'm sorry, I've been having food cravings lately. But I'm not pregnant." Ysabelle laughed.

Tifa shook her head. "No, I'm fine. I love crab cakes and teriyaki." Luke bowed and went back inside the kitchen, after telling them that the food would be served in twenty minutes. That boy had an air of meekness in Tifa's observation. "Um, now may I know why you called for me, ma'am?"

"Oh quit the honorifics, child. We're having dinner as friends, not business partners."

"Ah, okay." She smiled genuinely. Inside, she was more than smiling—she was leaping, shouting and crying. Ysabelle actually considered her a close friend! Tifa had never considered it before, of course, since it was a standard protocol in the biz to be polite and friendly to everybody. That protocol was one of the main reasons it was difficult to find real friends in their line of work.

A few minutes of silence passed until Ysabelle spoke once more. "Heart Locker's still strong in the market. Congratulations, darling, you're one step closer to building your very own empire. I'm sorry, I just had to say that." The older woman giggled and smiled. Her lips were perfectly shaped and rose pink. Luke suddenly came out with two teacups filled with the aromatic beverage. "Madame," the teen mumbled as he placed the cups in front of them. With one wave, Luke was dismissed again. "He talks as if we were ants, really. You'll have to forgive my nephew."

"Luke is your nephew?"

"Why yes. He's my favorite nephew, since he's the most timid one. Not to mention his good looks. He's just here now because its summer break and he doesn't have much to do."

Tifa chuckled. "I see. That's very nice of you to allow him to work here."

"Alright, let's stop talking about my nephew. How are things between you and Cloud? Is everything well?" Ysabelle asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. She must have had watched the report on the gossip channels about her sudden run-in with Genesis. News stating that she and Genesis got cozy and had left Cloud out sprang everywhere and rumors of them getting back together spread like wildfire. Tabloids sure knew how to juice out everything when the opportunity showed itself. Rufus had been exhausted from all the phone calls and e-mails he had to answer before flying to the Northern Continent with Cloud. Fortunately, Tifa's fans detested Genesis as well, so only a handful were hoping the rumors were true. Her official site turned into a flaming forum regarding the rumors within an hour.

With a hundred watt smile, Tifa assured her friend that there was nothing to worry about. "Cloud and I had a grand time reading those stories, actually. Tabloid writers are really mean, anything for cold hard cash, I guess." She sipped her tea and frowned. "I bet Genesis enjoyed those stories more than we did though."

Ysabelle nodded. "Just promise me that if and when the time comes that you and Cloud decide to tie the knot, I'll be the one creating your wedding gown."

"I…It's a little too early to think about stuff like that, right? I mean… we've only been together for eight and a half months." Tifa said, flustered. Marriage… she hadn't thought about that until Ysabelle mentioned it. But she could already imagine herself in one of Ysabelle's special designs, walking down the aisle to meet Cloud at the altar. Cute picture, really.

The older woman shrugged. "Oh sweetheart, it would be such a waste for you and Cloud if you're not going to be together till death do you part. You're perfect for each other. You're eccentric and he's laid-back."

"Laid back… yep, he definitely is." Tifa replied, grinning.

Luke reappeared, carrying a tray laden with their dinner. "Well. Bon a petit." Ysabelle said.

* * *

It's midnight.

Cissnei looked up at Genesis, who was sitting at the edge of the bed, a sliver of the sheet covering his waist. The pale moonlight traced his features, every smooth curve and plane. "What's on your mind Genesis?" she asked lazily, drowsily. He turned his head slowly, reverently and shook it. "Nothing." he muttered. She sat up and reached for him. "Really?"

He locked his blue green eyes on hers and claimed her lips. "I was just thinking how fucking great you were tonight." Genesis whispered.

She looked away. "You know you shouldn't have called me. You're only opening the wound."

"What wound?" he asked innocently.

"You know very well why I'm not up for this kind of affair anymore. I want an honest relationship."

"Well darling, isn't this an honest relationship?"

"It's only physical." Cissnei retorted and stood up.

"Where are you going?" Genesis asked, infinite boredom in his voice. He watched his conquest gather her clothes and leave without another word. He drew a sigh and searched for his phone.

"Gene… what the hell?" Angeal said with a very annoyed and groggy voice.

The vocalist only laughed and said, "I have just been dumped."

"Ugh. Dude, get some sleep. I'm sure that you'll have another gal with you tomorrow. But I wish that it would take longer… hey… are you still there…Gen?"

_Beep. Beep._

Genesis groaned and turned on the flat screen mounted on his wall.

"_In other news, Cloud Strife has already flown to the Northern Continent to begin the filming of his brand new movie project with Elena. WBK news caught him together with Tifa in the airport earlier this morning…._"

Genesis chuckled darkly before turning the TV off.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Aah, finally, a quick update! I still haven't enrolled for college, and summer's already halfway gone. –Okay, it's completely gone since it's been raining for days here, but still. Bummer. Hope you enjoyed the thirtieth chapter! Leave a review!

Also—I really love Genesis Rhapsodos because he is my first fave character, so I wonder why I'm portraying him as an asshole here. Hmm. It must be because I like insane, bad guys. Ah…y—yeah. Bye. ('_you're crazier than I am!_' Genesis yelled)

Victoria Chrystallis—the almost college gal


	31. Last Song

*Thirty-one: Last Song

* * *

The familiar screams of her ever loyal followers filled the air the moment she emerged from the limousine that night. Tifa smiled and waved at them, to let them know that she loves them. She was whisked towards the red carpet the next second. Photographers yelled and begged for her to look their way, to smile, to pose in certain ways they wanted—the usual chaos. Tifa had worn one of Ysabelle's exclusive designs for the swanky event—a black gown with a plunging bodice with a diamond cut at the back, with a slit that exposes her mid-thigh, crystal embellishments were attached at the sleeves and bodice. It was, in every sense, a very dangerously sexy gown. Her PR ushered her to a reporter, whose name she didn't catch.

"You look very sexy, miss Lockhart! Who are you wearing?" the reporter wearing a pink cocktail dress and metallic pumps asked. The reporter's eyes were on her exposed skin. "You have very, very nice gams."

Tifa smiled. "Thanks. I'm wearing XY tonight."

"How are things between you and Cloud, now that he's away filming his first movie?"

"I haven't heard from him because the director prohibited the cast from using their phones during the filming. Everything's wonderful," she said, her smile plastered.

"I heard you had a run in with Genesis last week?"

Tifa's PR cleared his throat and intervened. "I thought I made it clear that that's off limits, Clara?" he hissed. "This interview's over."

"Sorry." Clara mumbled, blushing. She was definitely new. Tifa was heading to another reporter before she could say that it was alright. Did Rufus tell Mike that Genesis was an off limits topic? Nice move, Rufus.

After smiling and talking with five other reporters, Tifa was finally inside the venue. In the lobby, she was ushered inside the hall and into her seat. Aerith and Zack were so far away from her seat. Beside her was Tseng and Yuffie. Yuffie was dressed in an elaborate lime dress and Tseng looked dapper in his pin striped suit. He nodded and said hello to her the moment she arrived. His girlfriend, Elena was away filming together with Cloud.

Half an hour later, the lights dimmed and the stage lit up. A lone grand piano and a man with auburn hair and red cloak occupied the stage. "Hello everybody…" he said in a deep voice. "This is… my new song, _The Last Song_." In that instant, the hushed hall was filled with the song's melody.

Tifa pursed her lips. Those lyrics… they were too sad. She stared at him. What… why? Yuffie leaned towards her and whispered, "Looks like somebody's not over you, boobs." Then she chuckled.

Why was Genesis performing here? This was so beyond awkward. She could feel her cheeks heating up as he sang, her heart beating faster because of the situation. Is that really how he's feeling? Lonely? Highly unbelievable. But this guy would do anything for his career. She had to admit, even though Genesis was a horrible lover, he was an exceptional artist. Performing was his one and only true love.

The notes reverberating from the piano were solemn, perfectly conveying his mood. Loneliness echoed after him.

"_Mou ichido tsuyoku dakishimete…_"

With the final note, he stood up and bowed to the audience. His eyes were searching momentarily. She was sure that it was just another of his theatrical tricks. The lights faded, enveloped the whole auditorium in darkness. It was comforting to finally lose sight of him.

"Say Tifa, won't you say he's still smitten with you? There's no doubt the song was dedicated to you." Fussy little Yuffie whispered again.

"Hm," Tifa murmured. Genesis…still smitten…with her…? What alternate universe had she just entered?

An hour and half later, Tifa accompanied by her trusty friends, Zack and Aerith, headed to the award show's after party. The venue resembled a wedding reception, with white being the dominant color and all. However, the sponsor's stalls at the entrance were the main attractions, so few guests commented about the after party's decorum.

"Let's go look at those bags, Teef!" Aerith exclaimed, eyeing a pink tote.

Tifa shrugged and followed her hyper friend. The bags on display were all being sold at half its price, and they were still beyond an average person's yearly earnings. The raven let herself examine a black Chocobo skin bag with gold details. She asked the attendant if they had one with silver details.

"Fancy running into you here, my lovely." a smooth voice said behind her.

Without turning around, Tifa rolled her eyes and spoke through gritted teeth. "Indeed."

"Did you like the song?" he asked. Genesis was so close to her that she could smell his leathery, perfumed scent. He took a deep breath. "I wrote it especially for you."

Tifa moved away from him and examined the bag the attendant handed her. It was best not to snap at Genesis here. It would cause a scene and yield controversy later. Be professional. It's okay, Tifa. "It was a good song. I never knew you could sing about anything beyond sex." She told the attendant that she'd be taking the bag.

Genesis chuckled and whispered in her ear. "Your toy's not here, why don't you come up to my suite and play for a few hours?" His breath was hot and it sent her scalp prickling.

"How dare you!" Tifa turned around lithely and let her hand land on his cheek with a loud, crisp sound. Everybody near them froze and stared. She didn't care. "You're so horrible, Gen. Why don't you just stay away from me?"

He massaged his now-sore cheek and clenched his jaw. "I would, but I can't." Zack rushed to Tifa's side, his eyes glittering with surprise and anger. "Why the hell is this guy here?"

"I was invited by the Academy. I have every right to be here… who are you?" Genesis snarled. His eyes were narrowed. Tifa had never seen Genesis angry when they were together. He looked downright scary.

A security personnel stepped forward and said, in a very calm but threatening manner, "Sir, it seems that your behavior here is highly inappropriate. I have to ask you to leave." Genesis looked up at the buff fellow and sneered. "You don't need to tell me that. I was going to leave already anyway." He turned to Tifa and smiled. "It was nice talking to you, love."

The attendant came reluctantly towards Tifa and handed her the shopping bag and her credit card.

"Thanks," she muttered and walked out of the boutique.

Zack walked beside her, his face full of concern. "You okay?" her friend asked. Aerith was right beside them in a second, holding a shopping bag. Aerith patted Tifa's back and said, "Of course she's alright. Slapping rude people feels great!"

The spiky haired young man grinned wolfishly at Aerith. "Oh really? Have you ever slapped somebody?"

Aerith blushed. "Well… no, but that's how I imagine it would feel."

Zack laughed and wrapped his arms around his girlfriend's waist. Tifa eyed them, suddenly wishing that Cloud was by her side. Genesis should have just kept his distance.

* * *

Genesis slammed his Zagato's door hard, grinding his teeth. Fucking.. god damn it.

He rested his head on the wheel, trying to gather his calm.

* * *

Author's Note:

Hm. Thanks for reading! Please don't forget to review.

Oh and I highly recommend that you look up Last Song ~Unplugged by Gackt.

Vikki


	32. Conflicted

Thirty-two: Conflicted

* * *

Genesis's new song, Last Song, was playing everywhere. Tifa ground her teeth as she turned off the radio, and concentrated on sketching. The door bell's high pitched cry broke her concentration again. Annoyed, Tifa stood up and walked to the door to greet the offender. Tifa was expecting her stylist with his hand on his hip, but it wasn't her stylist. It was a delivery man. The sweet, sweet scent of roses wafted instantly.

"Miss Lockhart?" a delivery man carrying a wicker basket of white and pale pink roses asked.

"Yes." she answered, furrowing her eyebrows. The slack-jawed delivery man handed her the delivery form. She signed and he handed her the basket. "Thanks…"

The delivery man tipped his cap and was on his way. Tifa stared at the huge bunch of roses. She hurried to the kitchen and found a card. Without further ado, she opened the little card. Her eyes grew wide.

_Sorry about how I acted yesterday. _

She frowned and stared at the neatly written message. There was no doubt. It was from Genesis. Her stomach churned. Her subconscious shook her head and told her to throw out the roses. Tifa looked at the roses. They were so beautiful, it would be waste to throw away. Without batting an eye, Tifa grabbed her phone and dialed Genesis' number, half hoping that he was still using it.

Genesis picked up at the first ring. "Hello."

Tifa twisted her fingers, trying to conjure words. "Genesis."

"Have you received the flowers?"

"…Yes. They're beautiful, thank you."

"Listen Tifa, I'm really, really sorry for my irrational actions towards you yesterday. It's just that… I'm still not over you. No matter how hard I try to forget you, I can't. I've tried to replace you, forget you. I couldn't. Why can't I just get over you?"

Tifa sighed and bit her bottom lip. "I don't know, Genesis. But you need to. I'm happy with Cloud. I'm not ready to be friends with you either. I'm sorry."

"I understand that completely, darling." he said quietly. "Oops. Sorry." Somehow, Genesis' voice sounded totally wounded. "I wish you and Cloud all the happiness. But if he ever hurts you, I'm here."

"Hurt me the way you did, Genesis?" she snapped. "I don't know why I'm still being fucking polite to you, buster. We're long over. Why don't you get over it?"

Silence stretched on Genesis' line. He sighed and said, "I won't bother you again. I'm sorry, again. Good bye."

Tifa ended the call without a farewell. There was a bitter taste in her mouth, and a sting in her eyes. She fetched herself a glass of chilled white wine. Why was Genesis suddenly acting up like this? Wasn't he alright when they actually broke up? The sweet scent of the roses reached her nostrils again, and she felt… How did she feel, exactly? Appalled? Scared? Hurt? Angry? Confused? She was sure, however, that she wasn't thrilled.

Why couldn't the roses have been from Cloud instead?

Her phone rang. It was Lazard. "Hello Lazard?" she said.

"Rufus called me this morning," the stylist said. "he told me that you can visit the set today until tomorrow. Do you want to go?"

She smiled. "Nothing would please me more."

"I'll book us a flight then. How does the three o'clock trip sound?"

"I'll meet you in the airport at two-thirty."

"Alright doll." _Beep._

Shaking her head, Tifa proceeded to take the roses out of the house. Genesis... he no longer had a place here, or with her. Without looking back, Tifa ran upstairs and packed her clothes like an excited child that was about to go to the amusement park for the first time. Should she tell Cloud about the Genesis situation when she gets there, she wondered. She couldn't really afford to distract her boyfriend from his movie, but this sort of a serious matter...

Hmm.

Tifa decided against it, feeling confident that Genesis would stay away from her completely now that she's told him off.

* * *

Author's Note: Ah. This is unbelievably short. Sorry. But I think you guys will be getting more short stuff in the future, depending on how I adapt to my new environment—a.k.a. college! I hope you liked what you just read. Don't forget to review, lovelies.

Victoria Chrystallis


	33. Idle Reunion

Thirty-three: Idle Reunion

* * *

Tifa and Lazard were met by a bodyguard when they arrived. An airport staff pushed their trolley, as they discretely headed for the elevator. She kept her head low, to avoid recognition. The elevator was incredibly fast. They were already at the parking lot. A black SUV was waiting for them. "Thank you," Tifa whispered to the porter and body guard as she climbed in the car.

"They're staying at the Icicle Inn." Lazard told her. "They weren't permitted to stay in the Forgotten City. We'll be there in about ten minutes."

Tifa smiled a little. "I can't wait to see him."

At the sight of the inns' lights, Tifa's heart started to beat faster.

Closer… closer…

The moment the car stopped, the door was opened to reveal a breathless Cloud, his blue eyes shining. "Hey!" he said, as Tifa clambered out and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Hi," she whispered. Their breaths turned into tiny clouds of mist as they spoke. Lazard quietly headed inside the inn, rolling his eyes as he did so.

"How are you?" Cloud asked as he led her inside the inn. Tifa paused. _Well… my ex went loco on me while you were gone, asking for another chance… but I rejected him. _"I'm fine. More than fine now," she whispered. He stopped at the counter to order for two coffees before leading her to his room. His room was slightly messy. His clothes were in a heap in one corner. "Laundry?" she asked, smiling.

He grinned. "Yeah. The laundry lady's going to come in later to take care of them. Take a seat."

"Hey," Tifa said. "How come I was allowed to visit already?"

Cloud sat down beside her and answered, "Well, the boss got sick, so we're not filming today. Weather's horrible at the Capital." He reached for her hand once again. "Ah… I missed you a lot. How's Midgar?"

Tifa heart raced. Should she tell him? Well… she definitely needed to be honest with the man she loves but… oh hell. "I attended the music awards and Genesis performed his new song." she said in one breath. Cloud raised a brow.

"Oh really? Was it another good song? Genesis creates really good songs." he smiled. There was a small strain on it.

"Yeah… it was nice. Then he attacked me at the after party."

Cloud's eyes widened. "He what?"

His outburst was disrupted by sharp knocks on the door. "Your coffees," the innkeeper announced unceremoniously. Cloud sighed and answered the door. He thanked the innkeeper and closed the door.

"Tell me everything." Cloud said softly as he handed her a mug of coffee. His face was unreadable.

Tifa chewed the inside of her cheek and said, "Well he didn't exactly attack me. He just said that I should get back with him since you're not around and I slapped him. Then Zack entered the scene." She drank deep in her mug, relieved that she had finally gotten it out. "Don't be mad."

"Mad?" Cloud laughed. "I'm not mad. I'm relieved! But… if I ever cross paths with Genesis, I'll break his nose."

Tifa grinned and placed the mug on the floor, having emptied it already. "I love you," she whispered. "And I wish that your movie does well when its released." She laughed.

"Me too," Cloud breathed and suddenly pulled her to him. Planting a kiss on her forehead, he said, "I'm sure that you're exhausted. I'll have the old lady bring up extra pillows and blankets."

She looked up at him and touched his cheek with the back of her hand. "I'll rest later. Why don't you tell about how the filming's been lately?"

"Okay." Cloud said, shrugging. "We've been filming the easy scenes. Like, the time before the infection. But he's so strict. He doesn't miss a thing! He made us repeat one scene eight times!"

"Really? Hmm. There was this one time, while we were shooting Immortal…. Reno's scene took at least twenty takes, because he kept laughing and forgetting his lines. There was another time when he snuck out to party in some bar and slept all day—the director was furious!" Tifa told him.

Another set of knocks disrupted their conversation. "Tifa?" Rufus called.

She answered the door. "Hi Rufus."

"You didn't even come over and say hi. I'm hurt." Rufus feigned, frowning slightly. He looked past her and said, "I'll be borrowing Tifa for a while."

"Okay."

As the manager and talent walked in the hallway, Tifa asked, "What's up?"

"I received a project offer with you. But I highly doubt that you'd like to take part in it." Rufus answered.

"What do you mean?"

"Follow me and I'll tell you. The walls have ears." Rufus hissed as he led her to his room, where Lazard was busily unpacking his clothes.

* * *

**Author's Note: **_Another short one! Oh my. Four more days and my care free days are _O-V-E-R._ Hope you enjoyed reading! Please don't forget to review._

_Victoria Chrystallis a.k.a the kid that's scared out of her skin right now_


	34. Triple S

Chapter Thirty Four * Snow, Sex and Snowboarding

* * *

Forewarning: No smex details. Boo hoo.

* * *

"Apparently, Genesis had already agreed on this project." Rufus told her when she handed him the manuscript's summary. "I didn't really want to discuss this with you but quite frankly, Tifa, you've been out of the screen for too long."

"What are you saying then?" she asked, exasperated. "The series has a good story, but I can't work with Genesis. Don't you know what he had just pulled during the music awards? He asked me to get back with him! He even sent me a wicker basket of roses the next day. He's emotionally unstable, Rufus. He hasn't moved on."

"I trust that you've already done something about that?"

"Of course. I told him to back off."

"That's good, but knowing your physco ex-boyfriend, he won't be easy to sway. But this TV series is too good of a project to pass off."

Tifa chewed her lower lip and rolled her eyes. "I'm not risking it. I don't want to be around Genesis. And this series is too steamy. It'll be awkward." Not to mention annoying. The show would give Genesis a reason to touch her, to say things he'd said before… to be her lover. No, she couldn't lead him on. She could state every reason why she shouldn't work with her ex, but it would take all day. Or night.

Rufus slipped the manuscript into a manila envelope and looked at her. "Now, Lazard told me something interesting. You've left out the details of the awards night. Tell me everything. Shall I call your lawyer now and ask him to file a restraining order?"

"You're overreacting." Tifa scolded her manager, who was now busy with his phone. Rufus glance up at her and said, through gritted teeth. "It seems that your former flame truly cannot be trusted."

"What do you mean?"

Rufus handed her his phone.

Tifa arched an eyebrow, then frowned. "What the fuck."

Her PR had just texted Rufus: _Genesis issued a statement about his new single and he's involving her with it. He's acting like a lovesick puppy right now. It's sickening. _

"The bastard. I told him to stop already!" Tifa shouted as she returned the phone to her manager. "Excuse me." She left the room and headed back to Cloud's room, fuming. He was memorizing his lines when she entered.

"What's wrong?" he asked, setting the script aside and patted the empty space beside him. Tifa sat down and leaned on him. "Rufus made me read a manuscript for a TV show." she mumbled, closing her eyes.

"Then why do you look so annoyed?"

She drew in a deep breath. "Because Genesis is going to be the male lead character and my PR just informed Rufus that he was making statements about me. I asked him to stop and he said he would. Ugh!" Tifa felt him tense up, but he didn't speak.

Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity, Cloud spoke, his voice soft. "What did he say?"

"I'm not sure. The text was cryptic. All the PR rep said was that he mentioned me while he was talking about his new single."

He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her hair. "As long as he doesn't say anything bad about you, it's okay. But I'm still going to break his nose." He groaned. "Now I don't want you to go back to Midgar alone."

Tifa peeked at him and kissed the base of his throat. "I don't really want to go back alone too," she whispered.

"You smell so nice," he said.

"You smell delicious yourself," she grinned.

With a low chuckle, Cloud cupped her face with both his hands and kissed her full on the mouth. His kiss was gentle, hungry, and eager. It told her what he wanted, and she was more than happy to oblige.

Neither of them wanted to get out of the bed. They were too comfortable with each other's warmth. He trailed feather light kisses on her shoulder, sending tiny shivers throughout her whole body. Tifa turned and smiled at him.

"Let's go snowboarding." Cloud suddenly said, grinning like a schoolboy.

Tifa arched a brow. "Sure. I have to warn you though. I'm pretty good at snowboarding."

"The inn offers a pretty challenging game. Let's go." He stood up and started to dress. The contours of his body were very… beautiful. As if he'd been carved out of stone. "Hey Cloud, have you been working out?" she suddenly blurted out.

He turned his head to look at her and smiled. "Just a little bit."

Tifa got out of bed then and started to dress as well. When she turned to look at him again, he was already dressed and ready, in a fitted white knit sweater and jeans. His hair was messy. He looked hot. She wondered why she was assessing him like this all of a sudden. Maybe it was because she wasn't going to see him for the next few months.

Cloud opened the door and she walked out. Elena was walking in the hall, with a mug of coffee in her hands. "Oh hello!" Elena piped up, smiling. "It's nice to see you Tifa."

"Hi Elena." Tifa replied. "How are you?"

"Tired." the blonde replied, shaking her head. "We'll be snowboarding in an hour. Care to join us?"

"That's exactly what we were planning!" Cloud and Tifa said. His arm was suddenly wrapped around her waist. "We'll wait for you then." Elena nodded.

He led her downstairs, into the sitting room. The room was relatively large, and very home. It didn't have fancy pieces of furniture, but Tifa could tell that the fixtures were ancient. Very expensive. Rare. "Let's sit there," Cloud said.

The fire crackled, its heat radiating directly at them. "The snowboards we're using are all special boards. Very techie." Cloud boasted, with a stupid fanboy grin.

"Techie?" Tifa asked.

He nodded. "It can measure how fast I'm going."

"Wow. How fast have you gone so far?" she asked.

Cloud scratched his head and answered, "85km/h. Boss said it was pretty slow. Elena was already going at 120km/h." Tifa erupted with laughter. "85! I don't know about you, but I'm pretty sure that that's not slow. And yes, of course Elena's going to kick your butt at snowboarding—she and Tseng snowboard all the time! Why are you using techie boards?"

"It's a stunt we need to pull while escaping the infected ones."

"Oh." Tifa said. "Is this your first time snowboarding?"

"Well yeah. I've never been able to afford these stuff before." Cloud shrugged.

Of course… Tifa slapped her forehead mentally. A delivery boy would have never been able to afford one night in the inn. Or have time, for that matter. Stupid, stupid Tifa! "You'll be going around a lot," she whispered. "You'll be visiting places you've never been, like now. I'm so happy for you."

He smiled at her and kissed her cheek. "It would have been sweeter if you were with me."

"Yeah, I think so too. Maybe when we have time, we'll do just that. Just the two of us."

"Hmm." Cloud agreed.

* * *

Elena ambled towards the couple with a wide grin. "Are you two ready?" she asked. She had already changed her clothes. Elena had obviously foreseen the Icicle trip and prepared for it. The couple nodded. "Let's go then, before it gets dark."

The two blondes exchanged friendly insults as they headed to the top of the slope. Their banter almost resembled a sibling's petty squabble. Tifa laughed at them. Cloud was absolutely terrified of the height. "Don't be a chocobo, _big brother_." Elena sighed. Once they reached the top of the slope, Elena dared Cloud. "There are balloons planted everywhere. The one with the most flags at the end of the course will win, yeah? Oh and Tifa, you're also part of this."

With a chuckle, Tifa nodded. "I'm not a novice. Sorry babe. If I get more flags than you, I'm staying in your room."

"You're welcome anytime." Cloud shrugged, smirking.

"Did you just smirk at me?" Tifa gasped.

"Maybe."

"Oh, I was going to cheer on you Cloud. This is so personal now."

"Hey lovebirds, are we gonna start or are you going to turn into cotton candy figures there?" Elena called.

"We're coming," Tifa answered. "I mean it Cloud. I'm not going to go easy on you."

"Yeah," he mumbled.

The game was over after two minutes. Elena had gone with 120km/h, and grabbed ten flags along the way. Cloud had followed, to Tifa's surprise. He had collected five flags. Tifa had done her best to cope with the techie board but found that she couldn't. Her speed was worse than Cloud's 85—it was 70. She managed to grab one flag.

"Man, your boards are too techie for me." Tifa grumbled as Cloud laughed. He reached for her hand and said, "Well, I bet you can beat me with a regular board. Why don't we try that sometime?" He kissed her cheek and whispered. "You're still welcome in my room."

She laughed.

* * *

Author's Note:

Well. Old long chaps are back. For now. It's such a stormy day today—boo—and tomorrow… it's my first day in college. Wish me all the luck. I'll need 'em. Oh, and I won't update until I get at least five reviews—ooh, she's being demanding! So don't forget to review. And what was up with those snowboards.

Victoria Chrystallis


	35. Emails and Pictures

Thirty Five

* * *

Tifa frowned as the camera man stalked towards her at the airport. "Hi Tifa, had a nice trip?" he asked, trying to be as friendly as possible. She gave him a half smile and pretended to check her phone for messages. "Yeah. Thanks," she mumbled as she headed to the waiting car.

"Have you heard Genesis' new song?"

"Yeah. I was at the awards show." Gaia, thank goodness for these sunglasses. Tifa rolled her eyes.

"What do you think of it?"

She shrugged. "It's a nice song."

"He said it was meant for you. What… what do you feel about that?"

Tifa shook her head and said, "It was very nice of him." The driver opened the door for her and she climbed in, happy to escape the evil cameraman. Lazard slid right beside her and shook his head. "The airport should really do something about those people," he said. She nodded.

The traffic was terrible. Tifa sighed and placed her forehead on the cool window of the car. There was nothing new with the city. She'd much rather be together with Cloud, who is flying to another city right now.

"Are you alright Tifa?" Lazard asked.

Her wine colored eyes wandered to her stylist and nodded. "I'm just tired, that's all. When is this traffic ever going to move?"

He shrugged and passively looked out the window as well. Then he gasped. "Don't look now, kiddo, but Genesis has a whole freaking billboard the size of a tower."

"What?" she groaned. Well, that wasn't really news, but they needed to talk about something. "Never mind that."

"Ah those abs of his are so perfect," Lazard mumbled. "Too bad he's the owner though. Anyway, how was everything yesterday?"

Tifa smiled and reminisced. "It was absolutely perfect, even though I totally failed at using those techie boards of theirs." A dull ache in her chest suddenly appeared. She was starting to miss him again. "What's in my schedule, anyway?"

"You've been invited to an exhibit." Lazard said.

"Exhibit?" she asked.

"Yes."

"When is it?"

"Tomorrow night," he answered, his eyes cast down on his smartphone. The traffic started to move again, and silence enveloped the pair. Tifa drifted off to sleep.

Lazard was shaking her shoulder, saying that they were in her house now. She blinked. How long had she been asleep? With a groan, she opened the car's door and slid out. "Your bags have been brought inside."

"Yeah… thanks. See you tomorrow night." She said and headed inside.

She threw her handbag on the couch the moment she locked the door and made a beeline for her bed room. Collapsing on top of the bed's comfort, Tifa closed her eyes and tried to fall asleep again. But thoughts ran through her mind. Random thoughts of Cloud's boyish grins and alluring eyes, his voice flooded her mind. _Oh dear Goddess I want to sleep right now! _ She thought angrily as she sat up. Every inch of her room was pitch black, as she hadn't bothered to turn on any lights. The wide windows allowed the dim moonlight in. Her eyelids drooped, she yawned but the images still played inside her head.

Well, she wasn't exactly complaining.

The next day, she had a slow morning. She sat infront of her laptop, aimlessly browsing the Internet until she decided to check her e-mail. There were fifty new items in her inbox, one of them from Cloud.

_From: Cloud Strife_  
_To: Tifa Lockhart_  
_Subject: I Miss You Already…_  
_Message:_  
_Hey,_  
_Did you get home safely? I hope no papz bothered you at the airport. Hope you enjoyed your visit, he he he. I'm about to board the plane again. This is getting so exhausting. How did you ever survive this sort of lifestyle! Anyway, I was really happy that you came to visit. I miss you already._  
_I love you._  
_x_  
_Cloud_

A small smile crept onto her mouth as she hit the 'reply' button and began to compose her answer.

_From: Tifa Lockhart_  
_To: Cloud Strife_  
_Subject: I Miss You Too!_  
_Message:_  
_Aww, you just made my day. (: Yeah, I got away from the airport unscathed… hope you do too. I'm attending an exhibit later. Love you too._  
_xTifa_

There wasn't a reply from Cloud immediately, and although she was disappointed, she knew that he would answer her e-mail as soon as he can. The other e-mails were from her business contacts. But there was another interesting e-mail for her.

_From: elenlramwallace_  
_To: Tifa Lockhart_  
_Subject: Hey!_  
_Message:_  
_Hi Tifa! Remember me? This is Marlene. You know … the kid from Kalm. ^^ I've been trying to get in touch with you. How are you? I see that you and Cloud are still happy and strong… keep it up!_  
_Marlene_

Tifa's smile returned as she replied to her young friend's e-mail.

_From: Tifa Lockhart_  
_To: elenlramwallace_  
_Subject: Hi Marlene!_  
_Message:_  
_Hi there, Marlene!_  
_Of course I remember you. I would never forget you. Seeing that you're so up to date with the things that are happening to me and Cloud, I'll just ask how are you doing? How's school?_  
_Tifa_

And so, her morning blues simply ebbed away.

..

The vast room was filled with incoherent chatter, clinks of champagne flutes and soft classical music. Portraits of flowers, people and places were the centers of attention that night. There were a few pleasantries exchanged, a few curious glances thrown, as Tifa walked in the room. Aerith and Zack were standing in front of a portrait of a hundred wild flowers growing at an abandoned cathedral. They were holding hands and Aerith was talking so happily about the picture.

"Hello," Tifa said the moment Aerith stopped talking. The couple smiled.

"How was your set visit?" both Aerith and Zack asked immediately, not bothering to exchange pleasantries. There was a certain glow in Aerith's face that Tifa immediately noticed. Flowers really do wonders with Aerith's mood.

She grinned. "We went snowboarding and did stuff."

Zack patted Tifa's shoulder and said, "Ah, was my friend any good?"

"They've been trained well. I lost to him, actually."

His large blue eyes and Aerith's green ones widened.

"That's impossible! I've always beaten Cloud at motorcycle races."

The three of them laughed and Tifa added, "How are you two?"

Aerith reached for Zack's hand and smiled warmly. "We've been talking about moving in together."

"Is that true?"

"Yup." Zack said with a stupid grin on his face. Stupid grin or not, he still looked darn good looking, even if he looked like an idiot.

"Congratulations then!" Tifa said. "That's a really nice picture, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is, that's why I'm buying it for our new flat!" Aerith declared. "Please excuse us for a while. I don't want anybody else getting this one."

"Okay," Tifa said, stepping aside to let the couple fly past her and towards the cashier counter at the very back of the room. A waiter approached her and she took a flute. The pictures were so… amazing to look at. She walked around and stopped at the very back of the room. Only three pictures were mounted on the wall.

One of the pictures was of Cloud and her, at Heart Locker's runway. Lips locked. Tifa smiled as she reminisced. She had seen a hundreds shots of their moment then, but this picture was full blown awesome. She headed off to buy the picture.

When she got home at around two in the morning, she fired up her laptop and opened her e-mail immediately. There was a reply form Cloud.

_From: Cloud Strife_  
_To: Tifa Lockhart_  
_Subject: Exhibit?_  
_Message:_  
_What exhibit? Sorry, it took a whole day for me to answer. I would have loved to go with you… I've never gone to one of those… well, I've only gone once, and I didn't really get to look around since I was delivering…from what I remember, ten boxes of cheese pizzas and eight pepperonis._  
_I love you._  
_Cloud ;)_

Without batting her lashes, she typed her reply.

_From: Tifa Lockhart_  
_To: Cloud Strife_  
_Subject: E-mails, pictures…_  
_Message:_  
_I went to a photographer friend's exhibit and I bought one of her shots! I can't wait for you to see it. It's going to be delivered her right after the exhibit's been finished. Zack and Aerith were there too. They're planning to move in together already! Isn't that great? Also… Marlene e-mailed me today. How are you?_  
_I love you more._  
_xTifa_

* * *

Author's Note:

Hello, hello. Sorry for the EXTREMELY long wait. I've been having too much fun in college. Well, yeah, I know I'm going to get caught up in so much…whatchamacallit? Homework… in the coming days, but I'm still smiling. Who else here is a fan of YFCz? Did you smile for them? I'll miss them terribly. Anyway, my next update may take an equally longer time to float up here, lol. Thank you for all the reviews, guys!

Please don't forget to scold me, okay?

Vikki


	36. Donuts

Chapter Thirty-six: Donuts

* * *

Tifa sighed as she turned the key to unlock the front door. Cloud had told her that he would be home within the week. It was so frustrating to guess _when_ _exactly_ she could cuddle with him again. Above her head, the sky harbored a golden tint. But she was too tired to appreciate it, let alone notice it. It's been five months… of being physically apart and virtually together. She shook her head and pushed the door , she headed to the kitchen to boil water for coffee before she fired up her e-mail. This was has become her routine for the past five months. Their messages have grown lengthier and lengthier after the last. There was nothing new from Cloud. She opened his last e-mail.

_To: Tifa Lockhart  
From: Cloud Strife  
Subject: Million to One  
Message:_

_I just want to be right by your side right now. Ha, how many times have I told you that? I'm sorry if I'm annoying you with that line. But that's what I want the most right now. I can't wait until we finish shooting. I've heard so many funny lies about us lately. They're saying that we're falling apart because we're not seeing each other. I have faith in you, do you have faith in me? Please wait a little bit longer, and I'll be holding your hand in no time._

_I sort of sprained my ankle today. I'm so clumsy. Maybe I'm just excited for the end of the filming. I don't know. I can't wait to see you again. I twisted my ankle during a chase scene. I'm so embarrassed. I bet I'd look funny on the video._

_Our one year anniversary's coming up. I hope I'll be back home by then. _

_I love you._

_Cloud_

Their anniversary was due next week, and her mind's floodgates opened and drowned her present thoughts. Suddenly, there were butterflies flying inside her belly.

And then, the kettle's high pitched screams scared the butterflies away.

* * *

Midgar's skyline is brilliant, Cloud thought as he idly stared out of the plane's window. Everybody else was starting to stir, as they approached the airport. His heart was pounding hard against his chest. He can see her, touch her, hear her in a short while.

She's probably asleep by now.

Rufus passed. He was wearing an immaculate white suit and a contemplative expression. The only time that Cloud had seen him wear a different color was when they were at Icicle Inn—he wore a red scarf and black sweatpants. It was sort of a shock to everybody, to see the Great White wear something else.

"You've got a pending invitation in a gala tomorrow night. Do you want to go or do you want to rest?" the manager asked. Rufus's expression told him that he should agree, or else. Cloud nodded and Rufus moved on to his seat.

Half an hour later, the plane was beginning to taxi on the airstrip and his heart was racing faster than it had ever raced before.

"Welcome home," he whispered to himself.

* * *

The first thing that Tifa noticed when she woke up that morning was her phone. It was ringing, and her favorite caller was the one responsible for it.

"Good morning Cloud," she said, groggily. Tifa wondered where her boyfriend was right now. How many miles away was he from her?

Cloud took a deep breath in the other line. "Hey. Guess where I am."

That was odd. He was cheerful, but she could sense his nervousness. "Um, in my heart, maybe?" she joked. Tifa hoped that that would ease his anxiety. Where the heck was he?

He chuckled. "Yeah, I could be there. But seriously, guess where I am."

"Kalm? Costa del Sol?" Tifa racked her brains for places, but she was still so sleepy that she couldn't think properly. _I've been everywhere and I can only name two? Am I a moron or something? _She thought, biting her lower lip. Cloud chuckled again.

"No, I'm not in any of those places you just mentioned."

Tifa sighed. "Then where are you? Look, Cloud, I'm not in the mood for guessing games. I haven't had my coffee yet." She scolded.

"I'm sorry, then, go have your breakfast then."

"Can't you just tell me where you are?" she asked, half pleaded, as she walked out of her bedroom. Tifa was wearing his shirt and black, silk shorts. She debated whether she'd make waffles or an omelet today.

"You have to guess," he whispered.

Tifa's cheeks burned as she rolled her eyes. Why was he making her guess anyway? "Okay, what's the catch?" she asked, stopping in front of the kitchen's French doors.

"No catch, really. Just guess where I am, babe." His voice was suddenly louder. Tifa pushed the door open, and saw him sitting by the counter, head propped on his arm. He was wearing a huge, goofy grin. "Took you long enough to come here." Cloud winked. Beside him was a box of donuts and two mugs of what she guessed was coffee.

Her phone clattered down to the floor, and she rushed to him. "You're home!" she whispered as she nuzzled against the nape of his neck. He smelled of aftershave. Cloud embraced her tightly, and whispered back, "Yeah… did you sleep well? I missed you."

When they parted, he kept her at arm's length and studied her face intently. There was genuine intrigue in his eyes, accompanied with childish glee. He touched the tip of her nose and said, "You're paler than before. Are you okay?"

Tifa grinned and said, "I need it, my new show requires it." She took a donut and took a bite.

"A new show?"

"Yeah," she sat down on the stool opposite Cloud and continued chewing. He smiled and took one for himself. Tifa watched Cloud, everything about him had changed drastically since they'd gotten together. His body has definitely received most of the pampering. A lot of girls thought of him as a very sexy man, and Tifa felt sorry for them because they would never know how sexy he really was.

"Wanna go biking later?" she suddenly asked him.

Cloud took her hand and kissed her knuckles. "Sure."

"I'll be attending a gala tomorrow night," Cloud told her as they pedaled through her neighborhood's mini park. The sun was up and cheery. His hair looked a halo beneath the sunlight. "Wanna come with me?"

* * *

The red carpet was the usual blur of flashing cameras and screaming fans. Tifa and Cloud smiled through them all. She wore a sparkly silver dress and he looked dapper in a black pinstripe suit. The gala was a charity event for people with Geostigma—it was equivalent to cancer, only more aggressive.

Everybody in the industry was present—even the motherfucker, Genesis. Of course he was already entertaining a crowd of starlets, most of them blonde. His voice was way too loud, Tifa thought, for a _classy _event. It could have her eyes, but Tifa thought he smiled at her. She looked away and tightened her hold on Cloud's arm. _Jerk_, she thought angrily.

Zack and Aerith were there too, each holding a flute of champagne. Aerith was wearing a cute pink mini dress and Zack was suited up in black. "Hello you two! It's good to see you!" Aerith said cheerfully, kissing Tifa's cheek.

"Bro! You gotta try this champagne, man." Zack said, giving Cloud a fist bump. "You look like a freaking CEO!"

Cloud chuckled. "So do you, sir Zack. Shall we head to the conference room now? We're making the others wait." The boys erupted in laughter.

Aerith pulled Tifa aside and whispered, "We've found a house!"

"Really? Where?" Tifa asked.

"We'll take you there once we're done decorating it." Aerith said, winking.

"So… do you guys have plans of getting married already?"

"Nope, not yet."

"Oh… that's so cute, you know, the two of you moving in together," Tifa said, smiling.

"We want to see whether we can live with each other, you know?"

"I see… so what's the house like?"

"It's got a very big garden!" Aerith told her happily. Of course Aerith would require a huge garden. Tifa guessed that anywhere would have been fine with Zack, as long he was with Aerith. They'd have a long lasting marriage, if they ever married.

"Ah… let's go buy plants together sometime, okay?" Tifa said.

"Okay!"

And suddenly, they were being ushered inside the hall, because the program was about to begin. Tifa clasped Cloud's hand as they entered. Genesis was right behind him, and he had a sour expression on his face. She rolled her eyes at him. No, she won't let Genesis ruin her reunion night with her beloved. She'd waited for too long for this.

"What's wrong Tifa?" Cloud suddenly asked.

She looked up at him and smiled. "Nothing's wrong."

"Are you sure?"

Tifa nodded. "Actually, everything feels so right tonight, since you're home."

That made a wide smile creep in his mouth.

* * *

Author's Note:

So let me disappoint you once again as I stop here.

I told you, my update would take _really _long time before you see it. College… is very cruel. Le sigh. I hope I clarified the thing about Zearith now. Haha. Ah… I wanna see this baby grow up soon—if you know what I mean, hehe. Also, I apologize for the cuss words.

Also, I'll go ahead and be a demanding bitch author and ask for 20 reviews, before I update at all. I appreciated all the reviews, faves and follows all of you have given me!

Victoria Chrystallis

PS

Have you noticed the fic's cover yet? :D


	37. Anniversary

37: Anniversary

* * *

There was a simple note on her bedside table when she woke up that morning, and it read:

_Good morning baby. Happy anniversary! I love you. –Cloud_

She could hear him in the kitchen, whipping up breakfast. One of the many things that she liked about him was that he was a pretty decent cook. Tifa wasted no more time in getting out of the bed and went to join him downstairs. Sure enough, Cloud was preparing breakfast for the both of them. His back was turned, and his shirt failed to cover up his physique. His hair was already gravity-defying—she always wondered how he did that so fast. Wrapping her arms around his tapered waist, she whispered, "Good morning."

Cloud stopped scraping the pancake for a moment and turned his head to plant a kiss on her forehead. "Good morning. I was hoping that you'd still be asleep so I can serve this to you later," there was a chuckle in his voice. Tifa only smiled as she leaned on his shoulder. "I'm sorry if I ruined your breakfast in bed plan. Shall I go back to bed then?"

"Nah," he told her, flipping the pancake into a plate while in the process. "I'm almost done anyway. Why don't you take a seat?"

She was reluctant to let go of him, since she was sort of comfortable in her position already. For a person who hasn't showered yet, he smelled great. Did he spray some cologne or was it just his deodorant? Oh gosh, Tifa, stop thinking like that. "Okay." Tifa finally said.

From the dining table, Tifa watched Cloud move about in the kitchen. Cloud would make a great dad, she thought, as she lazily stared at her boyfriend. He looked up at her and flashed his schoolboy smile. It was funny how she has names for his smiles. Ah, the crazy things people in love do.

"Okay, breakfast!" Cloud announced as he headed towards her holding a tray.

He had even bothered to arrange the food. "Aww, the pancake's so cute, Cloud." Tifa whispered, grinning. The pancake was surrounded by finely sliced strawberries, chocolate chips served at its smile and blueberries served as its eyes. A child would have refused to eat it altogether.

"Thanks," he said, mercilessly taking a bite off his own. After a while, Tifa looked up at him again and found him looking at her. "What?" she asked with a laugh. Cloud shook his head and said, "Nothing. You just looked so pretty eating. Then again, you're always beautiful."

A blush crept into her cheeks as she smiled. She's been told that she's beautiful a thousand times, but why was she so flattered when it comes from him?

They were quiet for a while, until Cloud said, "Get dressed, we're going out in a while."

He planned things for today? Tifa thought. The only thing she planned to do with him was snuggle with him as they watched some chick flick on TV, with an open box of pizza in front of them. _Jeez_. "Where are we going?"

"That's for me to know and for you to find out." He answered.

"Oh, so now you're being cheeky?" Tifa laughed.

He shrugged and proceeded to clear the dishes. Breakfast had been a quick affair.

Tifa turned on the shower and let its tiny beads of water soak her, as thought about how she would give Cloud his gift later that day. She'd gotten him a new toy—a tablet computer. She hoped that he would like it. After all, he did seem to be a budding techno geek. Fifteen minutes later, she was out of the bathroom and standing infront of her gargantuan walk-in closet, wondering what to wear.

"Hmm should I wear a dress or should I wear jeans?" she wondered aloud. There were so many possibilities.

Deciding not to take any more time, Tifa decided to grab her trusty white scoop neck tee, black skinny jeans and red pumps. Cloud knocked on the door. "Tifa?" he called out gently.

"In a minute, babe!" she told, almost yelled, at him. She hurried to the hair blower.

"Okay." Cloud said and went downstairs.

Sparing one last look at herself, she left her room. "Cloud?" she called out once she reached the living room. He wasn't in the living room or in the kitchen. She got a hunch that he was hiding from her and walked out to find him on the phone, near his motorcycle forever, the Fenrir. Cloud looked up at her and gave her a wave. A moment later, he told her that it was only Rufus.

"Hop on," he said as the motorcycle purred.

"I missed this too, you know." Tifa whispered as he placed a helmet on her head. Cloud smiled and gave her a peck on the lips. Yeah, it's been _ages _since the last time she'd gotten a ride on his Fenrir. They've been sitting in cars lately. "Yeah, I missed this too." Cloud said, then made the motorcycle roar.

"Hey! Most of my neighbors are still asleep!" she scolded playfully.

"Oops, sorry."

And… they were off.

Once they were out of the subdivision's gates, she asked him where they were going again. He still told her the same thing, and it frustrated Tifa. "Oh come on, tell me already," she said loudly as she clung to him. Cloud shook his head and sped up. The traffic was perfect at that time, not much people were heading out yet. Tifa pouted and buried her face on his the crook of his neck.

Boys and their secrets!

They didn't go to the city proper. Instead, Cloud took a familiar route. Tifa relieved his shoulder from the weight of her head and looked around. "We're going to Kalm?" she asked. "Are we going to visit Marlene?"

Without a warning, Cloud slowed down, and then stopped. He took off his helmet and looked at her. "Yeah, we're going back to the place where we first traveled to together. The most beautiful place I've ever been in, remember?" There was that schoolboy smile again. Tifa couldn't help but kiss him.

"Yeah, I remember, you said that when I took around on a quick tour," she whispered.

Cloud swung a leg over and was on his feet. He offered her a hand and she took it. "Why are we stopping here?" she asked, knitting her brows together in confusion. A smile was his only answer. They had stopped in the middle of nowhere. She gave him a curious look and he told her that he needed to stretch his legs for a bit.

"Oh," Tifa said then bit her lip. "You know…" she whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck, looking straight into his eyes.

His eyes met hers and he snaked his arms around her waist. "What?" he asked quietly, a smile crawling into his lips.

She didn't say another word. She just let her lips do the talking. It was almost as sweet as their first kiss, in his room, when she told him that their agreement was off, because she couldn't help herself from loving him. With her heart beating loudly in her ears, Tifa couldn't believe that it's been a year since then. Suddenly, Cloud bit on her bottom lip playfully. _Two can play in this game_, she thought.

A few moments later, the couple stood side by side, panting, underneath a tree. Cloud was leaning on the tree's trunk, head thrown back, trying to catch his breath and Tifa was watching the rise and fall of his chest. "I think… we better get going," he finally said, reaching for her hand.

"What are we going to do in Kalm anyway?" she asked.

"It's a surprise, okay? Don't spoil it, baby."

"Fine."

They didn't go to Kalm directly and puzzled Tifa more. Where the heck was he going to take her? They zipped past the meadows and fields, the houses and village plaza. "Cloud?" she asked with a raised voice.

"Almost there," he reassured her.

Sure enough, when Cloud stopped the bike, they were at the gate of a house—whose house? It couldn't be Barret's. It looked more well-kept than Barret Wallace's home. An elderly couple greeted them a moment later, and after the brief exchange of pleasantries, they were invited inside. Tifa still didn't understand. The couple gave them a tour of the bare house.

"We will give you two a moment alone to talk," the couple said. The old lady looked at Tifa with shining eyes.

Cloud looked around and placed his hands on his hips. "Well… what do you think?" he asked her after a moment.

Tifa looked at him. "What… are you buying this place?"

"Yes." Cloud told her as he walked towards her. "I will, if you want it." There was a flash of anxiety in his clear blue eyes –why is he nervous? The dust motes floating around them were suddenly visible because of the dazzling sun light. His hair looked like a halo under the light.

"If I want it?" she repeated. "Why are you buying this house? Oh Cloud…this is too extravagant for an anniversary gift!"

He gave her half a smile and Tifa wondered if she'd wounded his ego. "Actually… I want to buy this house and the surrounding land," Cloud said, getting down on one knee without warning, "for our future family." And just like magic, there was suddenly a little red box in his palm, open and housing a beautiful ring. "Tifa Lockhart, I know that we have only been together for a year, but I want you to know that I am so madly in love with you. Will you marry me?"

She could only gape at him and watch the motes dance above his hair. It was almost like a dream… He looked expectantly at her. _How many times have I dreamed of this? Cloud… he wants to marry me… Mom, what should I do? I love him very much too. But… _"Oh hell, of course I'll marry you Cloud! Yes!" she finally answered.

Cloud's face split into a wide smile that reached both his ears. He took the ring out of its box and slipped it onto her finger. He took a moment to stare at her ring finger, "Thank goodness it fit perfectly," he said quietly. Tifa laughed as she helped him back to his feet. "I love you." Cloud told her as he took her into his arms.

"I do too." Tifa whispered, burying her face on his chest. There was again—destroying his shirt with her tears.

"So…" Cloud said a minute later. "Should I take the house?"

She looked up at him, eyes shiny with tears. "The house? Uh… why did you want to buy it, aside from the future family?" Seriously, Cloud, don't throw everything at me all at once! I'm still not over the ring, you know!

"It's peaceful. I know how much you love peace and this place… it might take a little time for the improvements, but it's going to be our very own castle." he told her, planting a kiss on the tip of her nose. "Just you, me and our future baby…" he whispered. Tifa blushed. _A baby…a family…_

Tifa smiled at him and said, "I love you."

He nodded said, "I'll marry you in every cathedral, church, beach there is."

She laughed and hit his chest, "One wedding is enough for me!"

"Okay," he agreed and placed a hand on the small of her back. "Well… why don't we go tell them that we're taking the place?"

Cloud drove slowly away from their future sanctuary. Tifa held on to him and studied the ring's brilliant sparkle underneath the sun. There was a warm feeling pooling in from her heart to her belly. _Yes, you're a very lucky girl, aren't you Tifa? _she thought.

"Hey Cloud?" she asked as they zipped past Kalm's boundary.

"Yes?"

"Let's keep this our secret for now," Tifa said, gazing up at the brilliant azure sky. She was sure that she was being selfish, but she wanted to bask in their private bubble a little bit longer. She wanted to be the only person, besides Cloud, to know about this happy event for now. Let his fan girls fantasize of them breaking up for a little longer—now, she was just being considerate. Ha.

"When do you plan to tell them, then?" Cloud asked, still focused on the road ahead.

"After your movie's premier…maybe." She answered.

A moment of silence lingered between before Cloud nodded. "Let's hope nobody rats us out, though." Cloud said a minute later. Tifa rested her head on his shoulder and muttered, "I hope so too."

* * *

Author's Note:

Happy 2nd birthday, The Celebrity and Pizza Delivery Boy!

Thank you to all the kind hearted readers out there who have supported TCPDB from the start!

Victoria Chrystallis


	38. Buzz Killer!

38: Buzz Killer! Scary Negotiators! Sexy Time!

* * *

"In other news," the talk show host said, turning away from her co-host, "we have received news about the Strife-Lockhart anniversary and his pricey gift to the sexy star." The talk show host was wearing a Pepto-Bismol pink peplum dress and had heavily hair-spayed hair. Genesis all but threw his mug of coffee at his beloved TV screen. It was like watching a nightmare. _Anniversary_. Godamnit. He never really thought that Tifa would last with the spiky head. The plastic doll woman's face disappeared and another scarily pretty face replaced it. She was standing right outside a modest little country house, holding a microphone and looking so goddamned happy.

"We've received news that this pleasant little home is going to be a vacation house for the power couple, Tifa Lockhart and Cloud Strife. The house has three bedrooms, four bathrooms and a 2-hectare field at the back." The girl yapped. She was obviously jealous.

Genesis reclined on the leather couch and looked at the ceiling. That kid was just a delivery boy when he left for his tour and now he was buying his ex-girlfriend a fucking country home. Heh, well, Tifa was the reason he could actually afford to buy her a house, so maybe it was just right. He clenched his teeth. _I could have bought her a bigger, better looking place though. _

"The owners of the house remain mum about this subject, however. They did not want to discuss how much the house is."

_Probably just a few pennies, right? _Genesis thought bitterly. He grabbed the remote and changed the channel. His manager walked in, and Genesis turned the television off.

* * *

Rufus was sitting behind his desk, with his eyes closed and arms folded. He was wearing a contemplative mask. Tifa and Cloud stared at their manager nervously as they waited for his answer. Tifa shifted her weight from her right foot to the left. Her hands were hidden in the hoodie. The blonde man's office seemed dreary despite the excellent décor.

"So you two want to go to Costa del Sol for how long again?" Rufus finally spoke.

The couple exchanged looks and said, in unison, "Two days. We're planning to take the whole staff with us."

"But why the sudden idea, kids?" Their manager raised a brow.

"Well it was our anniversary yesterday. We just thought we'd do something nice for our people." Tifa said, "You guys have all been working so hard so I thought…"

Rufus raised a hand and murmured. "Just two days?"

"Well yes," Cloud said, "I've got to attend TV guestings and interviews before the official premier." He was wearing a plain shirt and a black hoodie jacket. It amused Tifa that he was trembling –it was as if he was a child asking for his father's permission. Well, both of them looked like kids asking for permission from their parent, anyway.

"I see. Okay. Have you already reserved the flights and hotel?" Rufus quipped. This guy needs this outing more than anyone, Tifa thought as she smiled and shook her head.

"I was sort of hoping that you would do that. You've got this charm that gets us discounts," she laughed. Rufus chuckled and dismissed his talents. Of course he could get discounts. Rufus wouldn't be extremely influential if he couldn't get fifty percent off anything.

The couple leaned on their manager's door and let out sighs of relief. Tifa looked at Cloud and grinned at him. He chuckled and snaked his arm around her waist as they walked towards the elevator. There was nobody in the elevator. The couple stood side by side with blank faces as the metal doors slid shut. Cloud coughed and turned his head to face her. "Hey, future wife…"

"Yes, future husband?" she asked, allowing another grin to grace her face.

He leaned towards her and pressed her against the elevator's wall. Tifa looked up at him, her face already turning pink. Cloud looked down at her and whispered, "I don't believe we've ever done anything aside inside an elevator aside from waiting for the doors to open again…" His breath fanned her neck.

She had to take a deep breath. Did he seriously want to—? Here?!

_Ding._

"Damn it," Cloud hissed as he took a step away from her. Tifa stared at the red haired person standing in front of them. How the heck could this devil be here?

Genesis stared at the couple. It was obvious that they were doing something before the doors slid open. This kid seriously needs to learn how to stop the elevator if he wants to fuck her in here. He smirked. "Oh… hello."

The blonde pretty boy took a step closer to Tifa, obviously being territorial. Genesis wanted to roll his eyes. He wasn't the kind of guy to go crazy when he sees his ex. He went ahead and took a spot in the small elevator. The atmosphere was extremely thick as the doors slowly slid close.

Nobody talked, nobody seemed to breathe.

Why the heck was Tifa was wearing a hoodie—a freaking hippie-type hoodie? Genesis thought. The Tifa he knew hated those…hoodies… and she preferred leather, skintight stuff…what the hell. She almost looked matronly. Genesis buried his hands in his leather jean's pockets.

"That was a nice looking house you got there, Cloud," Genesis said, without looking at the couple. "I just saw it on TV. Looks like a house from a storybook." There was, of course, malice lacing his tone.

"Err…yeah, thanks."

_Ding. _

The couple walked out as calmly as they could. Genesis almost laughed as he followed them out. The people at the lobby were all staring, with mouths slightly agape.

Neither of them were in the mood anymore, damned Genesis. He should just change his name to Buzz Killer. It was going to be a silent ride home. Tifa watched him drive, wondering about what was going through Cloud's mind right now. His mouth was clamped shut, almost permanently.

"Cloud?"

There was no answer for a little while. _What's going through your mind, Cloud?_

He only spoke when the traffic light turned red. "What is it, Tifa?"

"Are you still bothered about…it?" Tifa asked, looking into his eyes…getting lost in them.

Cloud's knuckles turned white on the stirring wheel. "Of course I'm bothered. Who wouldn't be? Your ex almost saw us almost doing it in the damned elevator and he already knows about the house! What the hell, Teef, is your ex some kind of Buzz Killer or something? He always finds the most convenient times to show up!"

"I know," Tifa muttered, then started to laugh. "You know I was thinking the same thing. Genesis should just change his name to Buzz Killer!"

A glimmer of a smile appeared on Cloud's face and he agreed with her. "It would be a more awesome name for a rock star, wouldn't it?" he laughed.

"Totally!" she hollered.

He placed a hand on top of hers and smiled. "This is why we're meant to be together, Teef." Then they continued hollering with laughter. The cars behind theirs started to protest angrily with their sirens and horns.

"_Hey asshole with the sports car! It's green!"_

Cloud rolled down his window and shouted back, "Buzz killer! Why don't you fly?" before he stepped on the gas to escape the angry motorists' wrath. While the couple was busy laughing, Tifa's phone rang. It was her ever trustworthy manager.

"Yes, Rufus?" Tifa said, trying to control her laughter.

"I've been able to reserve a whole island in Costa, but it's still going to cost the both of you," Rufus said grimly.

"How much?" she asked.

"Your time and energy, of course." Rufus chuckled. "The resort wouldn't let us pay, your appearances are enough payment for them, actually. All you have to do is to endorse the resort while we're there. We'll all be given the luxury suites, too."

"You're so awesome Rufus, I love you!" Tifa laughed again. Cloud gave her a skeptical look. She rolled her eyes at him.

"Also, don't worry about the flights. I've got that covered. Airline's giving us thirty percent off if we rent the entire first class."

"Alright, thank you Rufus. You're the best!" Tifa looked at Cloud and explained. "We get to stay in Costa del Sol for free! And the airline company's giving us a thirty percent discount. Isn't this so great?"

He cracked another smile and nodded. "Rufus must have been scary during the negotiations, huh?"

Tifa shrugged. "I wouldn't doubt that. He's always scary to negotiate with."

"All that for like, thirty-five minutes… Wow." Cloud shrugged and laughed.

As Tifa laughed along, she thought about the trauma the person Rufus had negotiated with must have now. Rufus was a really scary person.

* * *

Author's Note:

Emergahd I'm so sorry guys! You can all totally bite me for not updating!

Ahh… you guys already know the drill. I've been busy with school… er, college. (It's the same thing!) Anyowls, how are you? I hope you're still interested. I survived my first semester in college! Yay!

Don't forget to review, okay?

Victoria Chrystallis

(the person who's shifting to AB Literature!)


	39. Chaotic Costa del Sol

39: Chaotic Costa del Sol

* * *

It was humid and very bright when Tifa, Cloud, Rufus, Lazard, Zack and Aerith, and the rest of the staff stepped out of the private plane. There was a whole team of airport security were waiting for them at the tarmac. The first thing that Tifa heard were the people's screams.

"_Tifa! Aaah! Kyaaa!" _

"_KYAAAA! Cloud!"_

The fans' screams thundered throughout the airport, disturbing its otherwise solemn atmosphere. She could already smell the tropical flowers of the islands. Tifa waved at the eager admirers and nudged Cloud to do the same. He looked effortlessly smoldering in his aviator sunglasses, fitted shirt and skinny jeans. The fans' screams grew louder and they became more restless. Costa del Sol's mayor came forward, and presented them with flower garland necklaces.

The security personnel quickly surrounded them and ushered them inside the airport. Inside the airport, it was cooler and more crowded. The sunshine glared on the polished floor and Tifa thanked Lazard for getting her the very darkly tinted sunglasses she was wearing right now. It was a blur of customs and procedures mixed with thundering high pitched screams and squeals.

Tifa waved to the crowd and blew them a kiss. Cloud gave the fans a sluggish wave.

Once they were out of the customs area, the couple's privacy bubble was immediately deflated by the local media people. It surprised Tifa how many media men the island province had. Their questions came to her all at once. She couldn't distinguish anything they said. Must have had something to do with their accent… Cloud squeezed her hand as if to reassure her that they were almost there, close to safety, where they could finally breathe.

They had a villa all to themselves.

Tifa had to give Rufus more credit than he already has. He actually managed to have both of the resort's villas reserved for them. Their villa had two bedrooms, but Tifa was sure that they would only need one. Their dining area had a bay window that allowed them to see the beach and the infinite blue ocean.

"Well… that was really exhausting," Cloud sighed as he pulled off his shirt, revealing his chiseled torso. His skin had a peachy pink tone now because of the heat. Or maybe it was another kind of heat. He had no freckles on his skin, but there were a few barely visible scars. Thank goodness for scar removal treatments. He said he'd gotten them while he was learning how to ride a motorcycle. Tifa stared at his peachy cream skin and giggled. He turned his head to look at her, brows knit together. "What are you laughing at?"

She shook her head and sat down at the empty bed. "I never thought Costa del Sol would have so many… press people!"

"Oh come on now, Teef, I know you're not laughing because of the chaotic airport." He walked over to her and bent down, letting his skin touch her. He was really hot—in every sense of the word. Cloud took a deep breath and said, "Is it really just very hot in here or are we hot for something?"

Mustering up all the calm that she had left in her, Tifa placed her hands on his shoulder and said, "I am hot for a shower. Taking a shower is a sure way to acclimatize."

He chuckled then muttered, "Mind if I join you? I heard it saves water."

Tifa smirked and said, "I'm all for helping preserve the environment." She planted a light kiss on his lips then he pulled her up. She could already feel his excitement. Cloud was grinning stupidly as he followed her to the bathroom. Tifa's heart beat heavily, loudly in her burning ears.

_Oh the anticipation._

Tifa was sitting by the bay window, watching the clouds float by. There was a cloud that resembled an elephant's head and another that resembled a humongous ball of cotton. The cool sea breeze kissed her heated skin, cooling it down. Cloud was sitting on the floor, trying to make music with the guitar he'd borrowed from a resort employee. The guitar was nowhere near his desired tone. She glanced down at him and smiled. He looked so adorable fumbling with the strings.

"Hey Cloud," she whispered, taking a few locks of his hair prisoner in her hand. His hair's a little coarse from all the gel he uses. He looked up at her, his eyes blue and precious, dewy and beautiful.

"Hmm?"

She let go of his hair and traced his face's features. "I love you, always."

A gentle smile appeared on his mouth as he took her hand and kissed it. "You're the woman that I want to grow old with. I will always be with you. I love you." He set the guitar aside and sat beside her. "Say, Teef, how many children do you want?"

Children?

How many children did she want?

He already has _children _in his mind!

Before she could answer him, Rufus came knocking on the door. Cloud was gritting his teeth as he stood up to answer the door. Tifa pouted. Their manager, dressed in a crisp all-white get up, as usual, sauntered in.

"You've spent the whole morning locked up here. Aren't you planning to show yourselves to the world?" Rufus said sternly. The older blonde eyed Cloud, who was shirtless yet again. "Did you forget to bring shirts along with you, Cloud?" Cloud squirmed. Rufus was acting like he was Tifa's father or something, being skeptical about him being shirtless.

"Why don't you try it, _boss_? It's much more comfortable." Cloud said with a wolfish grin.

Rufus rolled his eyes. "I am not into being shirtless."

"Give it a try sometime. It's way cooler without a shirt."

"Just get yourself a shirt, for Gaia's sake!"

Yep. He's definitely the fatherly type.

Two tents had been set up by the resort. In one tent, there was a table full of food and on the other were lounging chairs and tables. The staffers were already helping themselves to the food when Tifa and Cloud arrived, followed by their father-manager.

"We've prepared local food for you, we hope you enjoy your meal." the resort staff said as they approached. Everything looked and smelled delicious. While Tifa stared at the food, Cloud already started filling up his plate with _everything_—in small proportions first, of course. He had a mountain of food in no time. Tifa stared at him with her mouth slightly agape. He winked then headed over to her. "I need to recharge my energy… don't you?" She rolled her eyes and headed over to the buffet table. She loaded her plate with watermelon slices, pineapple slices, orange slices and exotic dishes.

Tifa sat beside Cloud as they ate, their bare arms touching. It was such a perfect scene.

"Ey Cloud!" a loud drawling voice called out. The couple looked behind them to see Zack and Aerith, walking towards them hand in hand. Aerith was wearing a flowing, light pink sun dress and a hibiscus was tucked on her thick, hazel hair. On the other hand, Zack was only wearing shorts, showing off his beautifully toned body. Aerith clung to his arm and smiled proudly.

"Hey!" Cloud said, standing up to pump fists.

"Hi." Aerith said, taking a seat beside Tifa. "It's so nice out here, Teef. I'm so glad you thought about going here!"

Tifa nodded and smiled. "Why don't you get something to eat first, Aerith? The food's delicious."

"I think I will." Aerith said after a moment, then headed to the buffet table.

Tifa watched Aerith and Zack for a while. Aerith seemed to be taking too long picking out what to put on her plate and Zack waited for her patiently, like a gentleman—which he rarely was. Aerith was being nit-picky about the food on the buffet table. Zach touched her arm and whispered something, then she shook her head. Zack looked worried, or just confused. It was hard to tell from the distance. Tifa went back to her own food.

After the brunch, they were showed around the island. The Mayor's Isle was very beautiful. Tifa understood now why this resort was so expensive and exclusive. Most of the resort was covered by the forest, where the visitors could trek for adventure and its beaches had coves and wonderful marine life.

"Can we go scuba diving now?" Zack asked as the tour guide talked about the various fish they'd see in the ocean. He sounded like an excited puppy waiting for validation to go crazy. Aerith eyed him as if telling him that it wasn't really a good idea. He frowned. Tifa frowned as well. That was so unlike Aerith. The Aerith that Tifa knew was the happy-go-lucky and very sweet girl. The Aerith they were with was moody and nitpicky about the food.

The tour guide nodded and led them to where they could rent the gear.

Tifa grabbed Aerith's arm and pulled her aside. "Is everything alright, Aerith?"

Aerith looked at Tifa with dazed eyes and answered, "I… everything's alright, Teef, no need to worry." The petit brunette smiled and took Tifa's hand. "Don't worry about us, Tifa. All couple go through ups and downs… don't you and Cloud quarrel too?"

"You and Zack… are quarreling?" she repeated. Tifa knew it wasn't really nice to butt in other people's business, but what Aerith just said was really weird. How could these two idiot love birds find something to argue about? They agreed on everything!

"You'll find out soon enough. Ah… shall we go get our gear too?" Aerith dismissed their little talk. There was obviously something big going on between Aerith and Zack. Tifa nodded and reached for Aerith's hand. Aerith looked up at Tifa with wide eyes.

"I hope everything will be alright soon," Tifa whispered.

Aerith smiled a tight, reserved smile and without another word, walked off to join the rest of the party. Tifa watched her friend walk slowly away from her, bewildered. Cloud looked at her from the distance and beckoned for her to join them. She gave a lazy wave and ran to their group.

Zack stared down at Aerith as she stood beside him at the rental stall. "Is everything alright, Aerith?" he asked quietly, his eyes piercing and gentle… thoughtful. He took her hand in his and gave it a squeeze. Zack's hand was big and warm, uncomfortable in the heat. Aerith flinched and he let go. "Of course everything's okay, Zack." Aerith told him, giving him a small smile.

Her smile made his heart sink. That wasn't the lovely smile that he had fallen in love with. He hoped that it was just the heat that was making her irate.

"Ah, what color would you prefer, Miss Gainsborough?" the clerk asked. There were pink, blue and black suits on the countertop.

"Pink." Aerith said, her face lighting up all of a sudden.

Zack shook his head and grinned. That color sure had its way on his girlfriend.

* * *

Author's Note:

I'm so sorry! I said I'd bombard you with updates! Our Internet connection sure sucks. -_-; I haven't had access to the Internet for like, two days already. I am dying. Nah, actually, since the Internet was down I managed to finish two hardbound novels, haha.

The next update may come a little late, too. I'm in state of mourning right now. My best friend slash boyfriend slash baby brother slash son slash pet dog died. So I guess I'm dedicating this to my pet.

10.15.12

Victoria Chrystallis


	40. Just a Feeling

40 –Just a Feeling

* * *

Aerith sat beside Zack, holding a cold glass of water between her hands. "Do you feel better now, Aerith?" he asked a moment later. They were in their room, with the air conditioner turned up to its max. He was still wearing his board shorts and a t-shirt. "Yeah… I'm sorry to have worried you, Zack…" she whispered, looking down at her lap. He took a deep breath. "Nah, it's okay. Don't worry." His hand snaked around her waist and he whispered in her ear, "Just don't scare me like that _ever _again, Aerith!"

"I'm sorry. It was just too hot outside," she told him, clutching his arm. He was very heavy against her frail frame. Zack smelled of saltwater and pure masculinity—if that actually had a smell. Aerith rested her head on the crook of his neck, nuzzling.

They remained like that for a while until Aerith untangled herself from him and looked at him straight in the eye. "Zack," she said, voice faltering slightly. Zack raised an eye and asked, "What is it?" Her auburn eyes wandered downwards while her cheeks reddened. "What do you want, Aerith?" he asked quietly. She shook her head. "No, nothing… forget it, Zack. I want to sleep…"

"Oh… alright," Zack said, getting to his feet and led her to the bed. "Are you sure that you're feeling okay?" he asked as he tucked her in. His blue eyes were smoldering, clouded with something she couldn't tell. Aerith nodded and smiled at him. "Bring me back something pretty, okay?"

"Sure will!" Zack called after her as he walked away from the bedroom. "Sleep well, baby!"

_Click_.

The hallway was deserted and bright with mid-afternoon sunshine, the cool breeze blew in gently, kissing his heated skin. Zack sighed and slid against the door. He just didn't understand what was happening, it was all too weird. _Damn it, damn it! What is up with you, Aerith? _

What if she was falling out of love with him?

Is there somebody else? _Sephiroth?_

Zack stared at the wooden floor, hearing his heartbeat beating loudly in his ears, feeling the fear creep up on him. _No, no, please don't let it be like that. _He didn't know how he would react if that was it. He just loved her too goddam much. Aerith was his life, his everything… He'd do anything for her. Her smiles and laughs were the source of his strength. Zack clenched his teeth and balled up his fists. He just couldn't imagine losing her.

He closed his eyes.

"_Come to bed, Zack baby…" she whispered, taking his hand in hers, tugging gently. Aerith's hair was a mess and her silk nightdress clung to every curve of her body. Her eyes were shining and her cheeks were rosy. "I've missed you…" Zack stared at the woman standing before him. "I missed you too, baby." She smiled and tugged at his hand again. He gave in and followed her upstairs, to the bedroom. _

_Aerith almost tore apart his shirt once they'd crossed the bedroom door. He met her violence with his own, relishing on stripping her of her skimpy nightdress. She wasn't wearing anything else underneath. A low moan escaped his lips. "Come," she whispered leading him to the bed. _

Zack opened his eyes with a jolt. It had been a little over two months since they'd last made love. Could it be that she was pregnant? "Oh _shit_," Zack spat. If Aerith _is _pregnant, is he ready? Did she know already? His heart skipped a beat and continued beating louder in his ears. His Mother would go ballistic over this, and say that he was too young for this. Zack shook his head. No, no… he's responsible enough; he can be a Father, right?

"Zack!" Tifa exclaimed, standing up from the lounging chair at the sight of her friend. "How's Aerith?" He looked tired and lost in thought. Tifa looked at Cloud who had taken his place beside her. Zack looked at them and attempted to smile. He's worried with Aerith, Tifa thought as she walked over to their friend and gave him a hug. "She'll be okay, Zack. Maybe she just got too tired from all the activities yesterday and today." Cloud placed his hand on Zack's shoulder and murmured, "How is she?"

Zack smiled impishly and said, "She went to sleep some more, so I went out for a bit."

"You look like you're about to faint yourself," Cloud commented. "Want a beer?"

"That would be great bro. Thanks."

Cloud steered Zack away from the party to a quiet place. Cloud sighed and sat on the sand with a half-full beer in his hand. "Hey Zack, tell me something." The raven sat beside his friend and took a swig from his own bottle. "Yeah? What is it?" Blue eyes met blue eyes. "What's going on between you and Aerith? Everybody's noticing it. You guys are acting weird."

"I wish I knew myself." Zack murmured, taking another swig of his beer. "She's been acting like this for a while now. Hey… she's not thinking about breaking up with me, is she? What do you think?"

Cloud shook his head and downed some more of his drink. "I don't know, man. Women are so difficult to figure out. Why? Did you do something wrong?"

"I don't know either! Women always find fault in everything, so how the hell am I supposed to know?" Zack chuckled nervously. In his mind, he was recalling and analyzing everything he'd said and done. "But Aerith tells me when she doesn't like something…" he said quietly.

"Ah… maybe it's just the time of the month, bro."

"Che, I hope!" Zack laughed. "I mean… seriously. I can put up with her rage period, sure." A quiet minute passed. "So how were the coral reefs, Cloudy boy?" Zack broke the silence. Their beer bottles were empty and discarded now. "Were they really as pretty as they were in the brochure?"

"Yeah," Cloud replied lazily.

Zack looked up at the orange tinted sky. "Say Cloud, what would you do if Tifa gets pregnant?"

"Dude we're getting married," Cloud said, staring at the pristine ocean. "I mean, this is why we came here, to break the news to everybody formally. Oh right, you missed it last night. _Where were you last night anyway_?"

"Oh! So that was what the yacht party was all about! Sorry. Aerith wasn't feeling well last night so we stayed in the villa." Zack explained. "She was so scary last night, it was like she was going to eat me alive for not getting her strawberry ice cream!"

"Huh," Cloud mumbled. "She's been eating an awful lot of ice cream lately, hasn't she? Is she preparing for a role?"

"I don't know, she hasn't mentioned anything to me."

"What if she's pregnant?"

"Then shit… I don't know… we'll have a shotgun wedding, maybe." Zack ran his hand through his hair and sighed. "But I don't want her wedding to plain, I'm sure she doesn't want that either. I don't even have a ring to put on her finger right now."

"But you love her," Cloud said. "That's enough. I'm pretty sure you'll make things work out."

"I hope." Zack said, staring out into red-orange tinted horizon. "Say, Cloud, what did you mean by letting everybody know about your engagement formally? How long have you been engaged?" There was a momentary pause. "A month," his friend answered, grinning. "I asked her to marry me on our anniversary." Cloud stood up. "We'd better go back." The friends sanded off their shorts and walked back to the luau.

Tifa was talking to her staff when they reappeared, and for the first time, Zack noticed how her eyes twinkled at the sight of his friend. Aerith had that thing for him too, but it went on vacation for a bit. "I'll go and see if she's awake now," he told Cloud. "Sure, you go ahead."

He placed his hands on his pockets as he walked back to the villa. _What if she _is _pregnant, you dickhead? Are you ready? Don't even think about running away. You love her, don't you? _, he thought, pursing his lips. Did he have enough money to provide for her and their child? _Well, look at it this way, dunderhead, you're pretty well off now compared to your pizza delivering days. Don't stress, you've got cash… What if her pregnancy ruins her career? _Zack couldn't bear the thought of Aerith losing her supermodel and all-around icon status because of it. _Damn it, I'm being irrational. Kids… can I deal with them? _He thought about the children he had to deal with while he delivered pizzas. Some were cute and nice, some were hell raising devil spawns.

Aerith was sitting at the bayside window when he came in. She looked at him and smiled. "Hi," she said quietly as he walked towards her. "Hi," Zack said, smiling. "How do you feel?" Her smile returned and her cheeks were stained with pink. "Much better, baby… You don't look like you went scuba diving." Zack grimaced. "I wanted to scuba dive with you so I just had a manly chat with Cloud."

"_A manly chat_?" Aerith repeated incredulously the giggled. "I wonder what you guys talked about!" Zack sighed and reached for her hand. "Baby, what if we get married too?" He asked solemnly, eyes hooded from hers.

Silence. Aerith stared at him. "Marriage? You want to get married?" she said. There was doubt in her voice. Her big brown eyes were shiny, wide. "I'd marry you, of course."

Zack nodded. "Alright then. Let's have a shotgun wedding when we get back!" He produced a ring he'd bought from the souvenir shop. It was a simple pink pearl ring. "Aerith Gainsborough," he whispered, "I love you very _very _much." Aerith laughed at him and caught his lips with a kiss.

"You're acting very weird, baby," she whispered. "I like it."

"I'm always weird, and you aren't so normal yourself, baby. You did fall in love with me, after all." Zack winked.

* * *

Author's Note:

This is like, the longest appearance of Zearith in this fic _so far_. Ha! I apologize once again for the long wait, guys!

Oh... and if you recognize the chapter title from Maroon 5, it's because I'm going through some IDK emotional phase while I was writing this... Haha! Pfft. Right. Bye again~ don't forget to leave me a review! Thank you! :*

Victoria Chrystallis


	41. Tonight with George Crow

41: Tonight with George Crow

"Tonight, we're extremely happy to have this amazing power couple tonight. I won't keep you guessing who they are, because I know that you already know them. Please welcome, Tifa and Cloud!" the host announced, standing up from his seat as the couple made their way towards the stage. Tifa was wearing a metallic black frock, platform pumps and her trademark red lipstick and earrings, whereas Cloud was wearing a simple buttoned shirt and studded skinny slacks. "Hello, hello, it's nice to see you again!" they gushed to each other. The host took Tifa's hand and shook it, "You look spectacular tonight, Tifa dear." She smiled and took her seat. The aura was definitely different from the other talk show s that she's been to before, maybe because she was with the one she loved, and that this show was the show that only big stars got to. The studio was relatively cavernous, and the stage was decorated with simple a wingback chair, a loveseat and a coffee table. The host was wearing a pinstripe suit, with a rock band tee underneath. George Crow was totally awesome. "So, you beautiful lovebirds, how was Costa del Sol?" George Crow spoke with a thick accent and he exuded an aura of confidence, just like every other talk show host.

"It was beautiful," the couple answered almost at the same time. The audience chortled softly in the background. Cloud cleared his throat and crossed his legs, letting his thigh press against hers. George Crow smiled and said, "Really? I know it must have been beautiful for the both of you since you guys did something beautiful there. Can we see the ring, Tifa?" She obliged and let him see the rock on her finger, which sparkled under the spotlights. "Whoa! That is one huge rock, darlin'. How much did it cost you, Cloud?" All eyes were on him the moment the question left George's lips and he was instantly pink. It took him a second to reply. "It cost a little bit over five-hundred grand, I worked with the jeweler personally, whenever I got the chance." George looked at him and nodded. "I see. When did you decide that she's the one, son? I know that she's totally drop dead gorgeous so let's leave that reason out." George winked.

"I love her," Cloud answered quickly, suddenly reaching for Tifa's hand. "I love her, and I want to spend all of my tomorrows knowing that she's happy with me too. I honestly expected her to say 'no' when I asked her, you know. She had so many things she wanted achieve, and I want to be by her side when she reaches every one of those dreams of hers." He smiled, George was looking at Cloud intently. "She's the best thing that's ever happened to me, George." There was a collective rumble of 'aww' from the audience and some even clapped at his short speech.

"You were a pizza delivery boy before you became a model for Heart Locker, weren't you?" George asked. Everybody knew this fact already, given the facts that Cloud's mentioned it in all of his past interviews. "Yes, I was." Cloud said.

"Amazing. How did you meet your fiancé, given thehugedifference of your…uh, worlds? I really couldn't imagine…" George trailed off.

Cloud chuckled nervously. Should he mention Genesis? Cid?

"I saved her from a person, he was harassing her." Cloud said, "I was going to deliver pizza to her, I think she ordered two pepperonis that day."

"Really? So then, what happened then?"

"We sort of became sorta-friends then," Cloud said.

"Sorta-friends?" Tifa asked, laughing incredulously. "I already considered you a good person and a friend from that moment on, you know. I'm hurt that you considered me a sorta-friend back then!" Cloud grimaced. "Hey, it's not really easy getting around the idea of being friends with a hot celebrity, okay?" The audience laughed, and so did George. "Really, darling, your fiancé has a point there." The host agreed, who recovered from his laughing spell a moment later. "Did you know about her hiatus then?"

"I was just as surprised as anybody, actually." Cloud told George. "But we weren't so close back then, so you could just guess how surprised I was when she showed up at the pizzeria one day, wanting to talk to me."

"She came to you!?" George said loudly, eyes wide. "Wow. Did you become a couple then?"

"No, no. She was still with Genesis then," Cloud said, feeling awkward. Genesis's shadow was around and it was creepy. He knew that Tifa obviously didn't want to talk about her ex-lover, and he didn't want to explain further.

"So you weren't the reason they broke up?"

Tifa butted in, with an annoyed expression. "No, he wasn't the reason. The end of that story was because of Genesis's own shortcoming. I think this topic isn't relevant." George nodded, he seemed to enjoy that bit. He proceeded with another question. "So you haven't forgiven him, until now?" Tifa looked at George with a calm expression. "I'm beginning to, since the wound's long been healed. However, that doesn't mean that he's going to be in the guest list." There was solemn silence.

"Why'd you say 'yes' to him, Tifa? Why didn't you wait for me to propose to you?" George asked jokingly.

"You were planning to propose to me?" Tifa laughed. "Just as he said earlier, I want to spend my tomorrow with him, because I love him. Cloud isn't the type of guy that would let celebrity get the best of him, he remains the humble hottie that I fell in love with despite the success he's enjoying right now. He's the guy that isn't scared to get off the grid, something like that. I love him because… he's himself, always. I know he gets intimidated a lot, but that doesn't mean that he's going to back down. He's a strong person, and he's determined to prove that he deserves everything he's got today. Plus, he's an excellent cook!"

George smiled and nodded. "Okay, so Mr. Humble Hottie," the crowd laughed, and Tifa blushed. "if you ever hurt my darling girl over here, I'm going to break both of your arms, comprende?" Cloud nodded and said, "I don't want to make her cry, to make her sad. I hope that the only tears that I make her cry are tears of joy."

"One last question, lovebirds, I know you're dying to make out in the privacy of your limo now… have you decided on a date already?"

"No, we haven't." The couple answered, both blushing furiously.

"So I guess you haven't started planning for it too."

"Yes."

When the interview was over, George took a minute to thank them personally. "Thank you so much for being here tonight, you guys, it's really an honor!" George smiled widely. Tifa smiled and bowed her head. "Thank you for having us tonight, George, it was really great talking to you." George grinned and said, "Hey, don't forget me when you write that guest list, alright?"

"Sure thing," Cloud promised, mirroring George's grin.

* * *

Aerith padded out of the comfort room looking pale and dazed. Her hair was fixed into a messy bun and she was wearing a sweater and shorts. The television was blaring from the living room, where Zack was probably still eating the caramel popcorn. Her throat felt constricted, paralyzed, laden with lead. Suddenly, the television's sounds died down. She looked up and saw Zack walking towards her, hands in his pockets.

"Aerith?" he said, with a puzzled expression. "Is something wrong?" Zack's eyes were brilliant under the bright fluorescent light. They almost looked unreal. Aerith blinked and shook her head. "Nothing's wrong," she answered. The pink pearl gleamed subtly underneath the artificial light and gave her strength.

"You look pale," Zack whispered, looking very worried. Aerith clenched her fist and gulped. Zack took a step closer to study her pale face. "You sure don't look alright."

She looked up at him and smiled brightly, felt blood rise to her cheeks. "Zack, I've got wonderful news," Aerith said softly, holding out her left hand, which held the pregnancy test kit. He looked at her outstretched hand curiously. "Hold my hand, baby." Aerith told him and he did. "Now, open your palm."

A pregnancy test kit was idling on his palm, and there were two red lines. "I'm going to be a father…" Zack said dumbly, staring at the kit. Then he looked up at Aerith, who was practically beaming. "I'm going to a father!"

"Yes!" Aerith breathed before Zack scooped her up into his arms and carried her, shouting that they were going to be parents. Aerith looked at her fiancé's overjoyed face and her smile widened. There was evident relief etched on his face as well. When he finally set her back down on her feet, he asked her, "So, are we going to get it over with and have a shotgun wedding or do you want to wait until our baby comes out?"

Aerith grinned at him and said, "I want a shotgun wedding, of course. It sounds bizarre. But I also want a dreamy wedding. Oh…"

"Then, let's do both!" Zack exclaimed, giving her a wink. "But... right now, why don't we ride off to Gold Saucer for that shotgun wedding?"

"N-now?" Aerith stammered. "Shouldn't we at least call somebody to be our witnesses?"

"I think I've got that covered." he told her, whipping out his phone and dialing a number. Aerith didn't really have to think so hard about who he was calling.

* * *

Author's Note:

Happy holidays, from your procrastinating author! I hope that you all had good Christmases and lots of presents. I'm sorry (for the 300th time) for being unable to update- I'm betting that you all know the school-time thing by now so I won't bother. My only New Year's Resolution is: to be more responsible. Seriously.

Please don't forget to review.

VC


	42. Unbecoming

42:

* * *

Cloud came back to the bedroom with his mouth gaped and brows raised. Tifa put down her book and looked at him questioningly. "Who called, Cloud?" she asked, sitting up. He sat down by the edge of the bed and placed his hand on her leg. "It was just Zack," Cloud murmured thoughtfully. "Say… would you get cranky if I told you that we need to get dressed right now and drive off to Golden Saucer?"

"_Drive off to Golden Saucer? What are you talking about? It's almost eleven!"_ Tifa said, exasperated. "What's this got to do with Zack?" Her fiancé failed to conceal his smirk.

"They've decided to have a shot-gun."

Tifa was out of her bed the second he had answered, shedding off her silk robes as she went. "What the hell are they thinking?!" she groaned as she dove for her phone. "They must both be drunk!" Cloud watched Tifa as she angrily punched the phone's screen to call her friend. "He didn't sound drunk to me, Teef. Maybe he's high… he was really happy." Cloud shrugged. "But of course… he always sounds like he's on something."His joke wasn't received as he had expected. Tifa was frowning and chewing the inside of her cheek as she waited for Aerith to pick up.

_Click_.

"Hi Tifa!" Aerith said cheerfully. "Did Cloud tell you already?"

"Yes! And Aerith, I'm warning you! Don't you do it!" Tifa yelled.

"Why not?"

"Because… because…" the fuming brunette mumbled, "because it's outrageous. Look! It's not like you to make rash decisions like this… Aerith… you're a fashion model. Fashion models have outlandish weddings. Agh… look… where are you?"

"I'm in my closet, duh. I've got a zillion white gowns here," Aerith said. "I really want to get married now and… don't you think that's a cruel stereotype, Teef? I mean… not all models want outlandish anything. It's actually so stressful to plan things like weddings that it ruins the excitement."

Tifa bit her lip. " But does it seriously have to be tonight?"

"Well no… silly!" the younger woman laughed. "I don't want any of us looking haggard on my wedding pictures. I would kill you all if that happened."

"Oh… alright… okay. What color do I have to pick out for my dress then?"

"Pink. I'll supervise tomorrow. You're raiding your closet too, okay? Don't buy a new dress. I want you to spend on your gift to me and Zack." Aerith laughed again. She sounded as if she was high too. What was going on?

"Ah… okay," Tifa said. "I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Yep. Tomrrow."

_Click_.

Tifa turned to Cloud, who was poring over the magazine she had recently abandoned. "Well, isn't this an interesting article?" he said, lifting his eyes to meet hers. She blushed then joined him by the bed. She knew exactly what he was pertaining to. He cleared his throat and read aloud, "_The Tifa Timeline: From Vixen to Darling_."

"Oh stop," Tifa said, throwing a pillow at him. "I didn't even know they'd written an article like this!" Cloud merely chuckled. "So… you're a _darling_ now, are you? I don't believe it… you're still a vixen to me." He pulled her arm and caught her lips. There was no objection from the other party.

* * *

The doorbell rang while Tifa was toasting peanut butter and strawberry sandwiches for breakfast. Cloud was still asleep upstairs. Wiping her hands on the dishtowel, she commented on how early Aerith woke up.

"Good morning," the younger brunette said the moment Tifa opened the front door. She was wearing sweatpants and a loose tee. It so unlike Aerith to wear such drab clothes. Her hair wasn't even braided, it was done into a messy chignon. "Ugh, what happened to you? Did you eat already?" Tifa said, moving aside to permit her friend in. "Where's Zack? Will you finally tell me why you two want to get married so soon?"

Aerith settled down on the couch primly and looked at Tifa with wide, bright eyes. "Tifa… I'm pregnant." The petite woman wrung her hands together and wore a dreamy expression. "I never knew I'd be this excited in my life." Tifa sat down on the ottoman opposite her friend. "Oh my gosh, Aerith! Congratulations! So that's why you told me to spend more on your gift, huh?"

She smiled brightly. "I'm so happy, Teef. And my manager allowed me to take a leave! Of course… I'll have to walk my last runway for the season next month, hey, it's all working out fine!" Tifa smiled warmly at her friend. "Hey—is that peanut butter and strawberry I smell toasting?" Smirking, Tifa agreed and led her friend to the kitchen.

"For who are walking?" Tifa asked as Aerith gorged on the hot peanut butter and strawberry sandwiches. The strawberry dribbled down to Aerith's chin.

"Oh, for Ciara Stone," Aerith said, wiping the juice from her chin. "These sandwiches are seriously good!" Tifa asked if she wanted to have tea. Aerith wrinkled her nose.

Cloud was still sleeping when the two women came up to the room. The sheets safely covered his navel and his legs stretched from them, long and lean. "Oh, well, I see you two had a great night too," Aerith commented, trying to control her giggles. "What time did you two finally get tired? By the looks of it, you two really had _fun_."

"Oh stop it," Tifa said, blushing. "I already picked out three dresses."

As Aerith had expected, Tifa and Cloud's walk-in closet was ginormous. It seemed to be considerately more spacious than the master's bedroom. Aerith felt that her closet was inferior compared to this. Tifa led Aerith to the bay window, where three pink dresses hung on a solitary rack. "Well? What do you like best there?" Tifa asked. "I didn't bother picking out gowns, since it's just a civil wedding." Aerith walked closer to the rack and saw that none of the dresses had been used. All three still had tags, and complimentary notes.

_To Tifa, one of my favorite gals in the world! -xoxo, MSA_

_Hey girl! Thanks for making the collection *hot*! Love, Moore_

_Congratulations on the comeback! Ysa_

The younger brunette studied the first piece and said, "This is a little too neon. Would you seriously wear this?" Tifa shrugged. "I'll clean out my closet sometime, okay?" Aerith laughed and eyed the second piece and dismissed it as something a teenager would use for prom, with all the beads and corny sequins. "You seriously think sequins are corny?" Tifa asked, laughing. Aerith gave her friend a serious don't-even-get-me-started look. The dress from Ysabelle was also dismissed, for having no shape whatsoever. "It's like a high end potato sack." Aerith said. The other brunette bit her lip.

"Show me the other dresses!" Aerith demanded.

"Fine," Tifa said, stalking off to the dress rack. "Come and take your pick."

Cloud opened his eyes and immediately heard Aerith and Tifa's laughter. _Oh fuck. They're int he closet. _He sat up with a start, glancing around the room. His clothes were nowhere to be found. Tifa must have thrown them down the laundry chute already. He bit his lip. Oh Goddess no. No!

* * *

Zack was on the phone when Aerith came home. He looked pretty serious, and it was very rare for Zack to wear such a face. The TV was blaring a car race. Aerith put down her purse and sat down. He sat down beside her a second later. "So, how was it?" the dark haired man asked, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. Aerith rested her head on his shoulder. "It went okay," she said quietly. "I think I'll go nap for a bit." With that she stood up and headed to their room. He sat there for a minute, waiting for the rustle of clothes, but heard none. It was barely past 10 and yet she was exhausted. The complications of pregnancy were starting to freak him out.

Scratching his head, he redialed and resumed the conversation he was having.

Author's Note

It's been three months and a day since I updated. So very sorry! I got intimidated with how things were going for the two couples—like, I had no idea anymore what to do from there. But now I've got it all figured out, trust me. Expect more chapters soon!

VC


	43. Secret

43

* * *

The news of Aerith's impending hiatus spread across the Planet in a blink of an eye. Some of her followers went hysterical while some congratulated and wished her well. The model was suddenly hounded by the press like a princess a long time ago. The phenomenon greatly surpassed the time when Tifa went missing. Everybody that was close to Aerith wasn't spared from public's insatiable desire to know more. "They shouldn't really be bothering so much about me, if you ask me," Aerith said as she stirred her tea. Tifa, Cloud, Zack and she were sitting at the back of an unknown coffee shop. It was usually Cloud and Zack's haunt. But it was the only place where they weren't recognized. It was their Incognito Zone. "It's so bothersome."

The two men nodded. "Yeah, babe. They've already speculated that you've got some terminal disease or something. Seriously these people go way too far." Zack said. He had a tall cup of black coffee sitting between his large hands and a plate with a slice of chocolate cake on the side. Tifa took a bit of her blueberry cheesecake then said, "They do it so that people have something to talk about. It's really cruel, but its human nature. These things usually end up destroying the person… ah, but what am I saying! It's barely nine o'clock in the morning. It's no time to be so philosophic." She laughed.

Aerith had ordered a strawberry short cake but wasn't really eating. "It's getting so distracting—there was this one time that _all_ the car's windows had paparazzi faces squished to them! Ah, that seriously scared me a lot." Her belly was starting to grow, if only for a tiny bit. There was already a tiny slope where she had been so lean. It wasn't so noticeable yet, but the ones who knew her best would notice.

Suddenly, Zack's phone began to ring.

"Oops, sorry! I have to take this call." Zack said, standing up immediately. He half-ran, half-walked outside. Aerith craned her neck to see her fiancé with pursed lips.

"Why the face, doll?" Tifa asked.

"He's always on the phone lately. Whenever I come home, he's on the phone… it's like he accidentally put super glue on his phone and hand and ear. I'm not really comfortable with it." Her face was wrinkled up with worry. (Of course, she hardly had any lines on her face.) "I wonder who he's talking to…"

Cloud set down his mug and looked Aerith straight in the eye. His lips were set in a straight, hard line. "Would you like me to investigate?"

"He can't possibly be cheating on you!" Tifa fumed. She glared at Cloud. "Your friend better not be, Cloud, _or else_ I'm going to beat him up!" Her hands had balled up into fists. Aerith sighed and told them to lower down their voices because they were starting to attract the other patrons' attention. The couple apologized. The brunette told them that if they didn't stop raising their voices, their baseball caps and hoodies would be no use anymore. "People are always, _always _armed with cameras, okay? And questions, they're totally fully equipped with those too." Aerith shuddered.

When Zack came back inside, he was practically _glowing_. (Or maybe the skincare product he was advertising was finally working.) Apologizing for the rude disturbance, he reclaimed his seat. His companions' cups and plates were already bare. He groaned. "You guys eat too fast!"

Aerith stifled a yawn. "Hey, Zack… um, do you mind if I sit in the car? I'm feeling drowsy."

The blue eyed hunk offered to walk her there, but she declined the offer, telling him to finish his food first. "It's been waiting for you. Black coffee doesn't taste good when it's cold." There was a peculiar ring to his girl's last word. Tifa offered to accompany Aerith instead. The latter agreed.

When it was just the two of them together, Zack started to gulp down his coffee—which, contrary to his lovely woman's words, didn't taste so bad. Cold black coffee actually tasted _good_. "I've got really weird taste buds, I'll tell you that." he said, smacking his lips. The blonde man was looking at Zack fixatedly. Cloud looked serious. "Hey, Zack," he finally asked. "You're not cheating on Aerith, are you?"

"Eh?" Zack mustered. The tidbit of chocolate cake was sliding off his fork. His eyes were wide with shock and his mouth was gaping. "Cloud, what did you say?"

Cloud shrugged helplessly. This was beyond awkward. "I'm asking you if you're cheating on Aerith."

It could have been anger or confusion that flashed in the taller man's eyes. "What are you talking about, Cloud? What makes you think that I'd ever cheat on her?"

Oh, now Cloud truly felt like a chocobo cornered by a wolf. "Well… when you went out to answer that phone call, Aerith told us that you've been on the phone a lot. She's kind of worried. It's not another woman, right?"

Zack rolled his eyes at his friend. "I am talking to a woman, Cloud. But she's my agent." A moment's hesitation stopped the raven haired man from continuing his speech. But his blabbermouth-self eventually got the best of him. "Wanna know why?"

"Sure," the blonde said. Zack scooted over to where Cloud was seated and whispered something urgently.

* * *

When the two men emerged from the coffee shop, both were in good spirits. Aerith had fallen asleep inside the car and Tifa was playing a game on her phone. She looked up and said, "Well, what happened with the both of you? You guys look happy…. Lemme guess, women in yoga pants?" Both men guffawed. "Nah, Teef, yoga pant wearers don't usually stray here." Zack said. "If they did, I'd be staying till noon!" She got out of the car and the couples went off to their own merry ways.

As the car purred underneath Cloud's hand, Tifa looked at him with burning eyes.

He spared her a glance and took a deep breath. They were on the free way that wasn't so _free_ at the moment, and they had gotten caught by the red light.

"Alright, alright." Cloud said, loosening up his grip on the wheel. Tifa leaned closer to him in anticipation. Their scents mingled and fought against each other. Tifa felt the moments pass heavily between them as she waited for him to open his mouth and speak. "He's not having an affair." Tifa felt her chest lighten.

"That's good," she said. "If he was, he'd be dead meat... I'll beat him up personally."

"He told me why he's been on the phone lately." Cloud quipped, not really in the mood to hear his fiancee threatening his best bud.

She leaned in closer, clearly intrigued.

"Oops, green light." Cloud said. "I'll tell you when we get home."


	44. Hysterics

44

* * *

Tifa was a woman with a secret.

She knew something that her dear friend did not know. But how she itched to share the things she knew. It was extremely difficult to keep her trap shut especially now that they were sitting across each other in a restaurant. They've been meeting at restaurants and coffee shops more and more since the past three weeks. She didn't dare mention 'weight' to Aerith. But Tifa could not help but think about Aerith's last runway next week.

"Is there still no progress with the spying?" Aerith suddenly asked. "Zack's really starting to glue his phone to his ear… I mean, the calls are more frequent, and he's always away. When he gets home, he's tired. Oh, Teef! I'm not supposed to be so stressed like this!" The petit mother-to-be placed her knife and fork down and pouted. There was almost nothing but bone left from her steak.

Tifa poked her own food without interest and shook her head. "Cloud's been following him around and he's not meeting any women, sweetie. He's working." She reached out and placed Aerith's hand in hers. The pregnant woman sighed deeply and raised her brow.

"He hasn't mentioned anything about work to me," she moaned. "What if he really doesn't find me attractive anymore? Tifa! My baby needs a father!"

Aerith's outburst made heads turn.

_Oh damn, so much for the incognito! _Tifa grimaced and signaled the waiter for their bill.

"You do know that all these people here can start another wild fire, right?" she asked her anxious friend gently as she fished out her wallet. "It's a lovely day today… why don't we go for a drive? Wanna go to Kalm?"

Aerith had her cheeks puffed. "No." the other girl answered moodily. Tifa sighed then stood up and pulled Aerith from the chair. "You can have your outburst in private." They walked out, with a few eyes watching their escape.

She did not expect to see Genesis walking towards the restaurant alone. But the sight of her ex-beau made her stop for a second, nonetheless. Their eyes met briefly. Both nodded with icy acknowledgment. Tifa and Aerith made their way to her car while he stalked to the restaurant. It was obviously a nice scoop for the ninja paparazzi.

Once they were safely inside the car, Tifa let Aerith have her go.

"Maybe he's got a surprise brewing," she said as she made a turn for the highway.

"Surprise shurprise." Aerith murmured, folding her arms. "He's just plain pissing me off, that's what he's doing!" Her eyes were narrowed. Tifa was worrying that Aerith might burn holes on her dashboard. "He just doesn't want to be with me now that I'm going through the motions!"

Tifa listened dutifully with her lips clamped shut.

* * *

It was nearly one in the morning when Cloud opened the front door. He dragged his feet through the living room all the way to their bedroom. Tifa was waiting for him with a book in her hands. He only bothered to kick off his shoes before collapsing beside her in the bed. She placed a bookmark and closed the book. "How was it?" she asked, rubbing his back sympathetically. Cloud did not speak for about five minutes. She understood and continued massaging his back.

"I'm telling you, when all this is over, I'm beating up Zack," he mumbled through the pillow.

She smirked. "Everybody feels the same, honey. I think Rufus is already contacting a gang. What did you do today anyway?" They were exaggerating everything of course. Her boss wasn't demonic like that. Sort of.

"Textiles," her fiancé sighed, turning over to face her. "He's really serious about all this, Teef! He's like a… a… fiancé-zilla!"

Tifa laughed at him and kissed his forehead. "Can you just imagine how she's going to react?" She reached down and pulled his face to hers.

"How was your day with her?" Cloud asked before kissing her. He tangled his hands on her hair.

Their kiss deepened and intensified. Both of them were gasping harshly when they pulled away from each other. Their breaths mingled hotly together on their cheeks. Tifa smiled and let her hand trail down to his neck then chest.

"She's getting worked up about it," she whispered. "It's not good for the baby. He's being really cruel about this… you know? She might not even agree with his color choices…" He caught her hand and kissed her fingers tenderly. "This isn't my idea of a sexy-time conversation." Cloud said quietly. Tifa laughed. "But I'll take it anyway," he pulled her on top of him.

Tifa giggled. "I thought you were supposed to be exhausted?"

"Your kisses revived me, I guess." Cloud said with a wink.

"Oh you—mmph!" Her words were crushed by his lips.

From that moment on, there were no more words.

* * *

It was a smartphone that _finally _managed to untangle their arms and legs. The sudden burst of morning sunshine was unwelcome to Tifa's drowsy and tired spirits. It was the same case with Cloud. They didn't feel like being morning people that day.

"Oh come on! I was finally getting my sleep!" Tifa moaned as she jabbed on the phone's screen with brutish force. "Hello?" She yawned after uttering the greeting. _Who do I owe this rude awakening to? _she added in her mind. Cloud kissed the nape of her neck and she finally smiled.

'_Tifa! It's me… uh, did I wake you up?' _

It was Aerith. Tifa rolled her eyes. "Hmm…. Yeah, I was just falling asleep… what's up?"

'_Zack's not here!'_

Tifa's eyes widened. "What do you mean by _he's not here_, A?" Her head swiveled to face her fiancé, who gave her the same bewildered look.

'_He wasn't here when I woke up, Tifa! He ran away! I told you he was tired of me!' _Aerith was beginning to sob. Tifa jumped out of bed as if she had been electrocuted. "Wait for me, Aerith. I'm on my way!" Cloud threw her a fresh set of clothes. Tifa ended the call and ran to the bathroom. "I hate not having my reflection showers!" she cried. Cloud agreed with her but Aerith was a real emergency herself. She was in a delicate state, and everybody that was in the know knew.

Aerith was sweaty, pale and snot-faced by the time the couple arrived. Tifa enveloped the other woman in a tight embrace and tried to soothe her anxiety. Cloud frowned and dialed his friend's number. Zack picked up at the fifth ring.

'_Hey Cloud what's up?'_

He walked out to the balcony and closed the door behind him. "This is going too far, Zack. She's getting stressed and you know it's bad for the baby." The morning view from his friends' loft wasn't so bad.

Zack sighed on the other line. _'Look I'm sorry… are you at home with her now? I'm at the store. Can you excuse yourself from them?' _

Cloud pinched the bridge of nose as he turned around to look at Aerith crumpled in his fiancé's arms. Tifa caught him looking and they held the look for a moment or two. Her eyes narrowed at the phone in his ear. His lips settled into a thin line and he shrugged. She rolled her eyes.

"I don't even know why I'm letting you do all this bull, really." Cloud snapped, leaning on the balcony. "She's really panicking. Get your ass home right now, you idiot. If you don't she might call your engagement off. She's starting to think that you're not into her anymore. She told Tifa that."

'_She said WHAT_?_ Oh shit. Fine, I'm coming.'_

Zack burst through the front door in less than thirty minutes. He was wearing track pants and running shoes. "Oh! You're awake already, baby!" He looked surprised—Cloud could tell that he was finally listening to his acting teachers. "I'm sorry… I felt like running this morning. Did you eat already?"

Aerith sniffled and glared daggers at him. She did not speak.

The couple stared at each other helplessly as the silence hung over them and grew thicker by the second. Tifa continued to rub her friend's arm comfortingly. Cloud stood awkwardly behind the women. Zack terrified.

"You!" Aerith bellowed. It was the first time that they all heard her shout in such a guttural manner. She was definitely mad, Cloud thought. His eyes met with his friend's wide, scared eyes. "I know what you're playing at, Zachary Fair!" She stood up so fast that she almost toppled over. Tifa caught her and helped her regain equilibrium.

Zack looked utterly lost. No, it couldn't be happening. "Aerith… honey… it's not what you think!" he tried to reason but a throw pillow hit him in the face.

"You don't want me anymore because I'm knocked up and I'm going to look like a beached whale and you're looking for another girl!" Aerith screamed, throwing two pillows at him. Blood was rising to her cheeks and ears. Tifa looked at the couple then at her fiancé, feeling really afraid and annoyed. The raven haired man had no choice but to duck from his fiancé's assault of throw pillows.

"Aerith, will you please calm down!" he yelled. Cloud and Tifa could see that he was trembling.

He really was a pup.

"Calm down!" Aerith scoffed. "I can't calm down, Zack! I can't! You've been leaving me alone too many times! How dare you think that I'm stupid! I know when a man cheats!"

"I'm not cheating! Ah! That hurt!" A pillow had hit him in the shin.

"Then why are you always leaving me!" she yelled.

Zack straightened up and looked at their friends, who were standing awkwardly in the corner, obviously trying to blend in with the wallpaper. He looked at them helplessly. They both looked at him with well-what-will-you-do-now eyes. He sighed.

"Look babe," Zack said. "I'm not looking for another woman, nor will I ever think about doing it ever. Hello. I proposed to you and we were going to have a shotgun, but these lambs didn't want to go along with it. So now, I want to be able to cater to all your needs and so that I can pay for your dream wedding, that's why I've been leaving an awful lot of times."

Aerith's face softened and the last throw pillow fell from her hands. "Really?"

He nodded. "I'm sorry if you felt like I didn't…"

"Shut up," she said as she walked towards him and hugged him.

* * *

Author's Note:

Um. Did you guys get the hint? Or do I seriously suck at this mystery thing? Hahaha

VC


	45. Just Like Heaven

45

* * *

Ciara Stone's runway looked more of an enchanted snow forest than an actual runway.

Miniature dead trees painted in white lined the entire platform, and Parisian streetlamps were situated between every tree. Each lamppost had garlands of dainty little Banora White blossoms, peonies, roses, sweet peas, lily of the valley and lilacs dangling on them. The whole venue smelled very sweet because of them. At the very end of the runway was another stage—but it was heavily draped with silk curtains and blossoms; naturally, it caused quite a buzz from the audience. Vintage crystal chandeliers hung from the ceilings, casting out mellow light. The audience's chairs had been painted white as well. The show was being held at a popular wedding venue.

Zack, Tifa and Cloud took their seats, sharing knowing smiles. The show was a strictly formal event and everybody in the room had dressed to the nines. The wild-haired raven had suited up very well although he wore a pink tie instead of black because he was a rule-breaker. He was the only one sporting the color. Cloud looked quite dapper in a pinstriped black suit while Tifa looked pretty in a tea-length oxblood dress.

They had been with Aerith three hours earlier, before she disappeared through the backstage doors.

"Ah! I'm feeling nervous, Spiky!" Zack groaned as they waited for the show to begin.

The blonde arched a brow. "What are you nervous about, wolf-boy? This was all your idea, anyway." He smirked at his friend.

"I know!" Zack's eyes were wide as music trickled in softly to help ease the audience's agony.

"You're only starting to realize that is some crazy-ass shit that you're planning to pull off?"

The raven nodded as if he had a stiff neck.

Tifa giggled beside them. "Well, there's no backing out now, Mr. Fair. You've just about sabotaged all the organizer's plans for this and if you pull out of this, she'll have your skin in her study." Cloud laughed and Zack chortled nervously.

Suddenly, the lights were extinguished. Upbeat music—_Namie Amuro's 'Damage'_— immediately started playing. Aerith worked up a storm as she walked into the runway, wearing a pink, heavily studded, leather jacket, an elaborately embroidered white dress and red strappy heels. Her hair had been done in a romantic side bun.

Zack stared after his pregnant fiancé, gaping. "She's way too delicate to walk like that!" he almost yelled at Cloud over the music. The blonde nodded. Aerith's condition had been rendering her delicate for the past weeks and the trio couldn't believe that Aerith walked like she had a battalion of men after her now. Tifa admired her friend's modeling DNA.

When Aerith walked back, she winked at her fiancé and friends.

The models who walked after her could not match up to Aerith's stride at all.

For an hour and a half, the whole venue shook with music and filled with colorful fashion moments. Zack and the couple had disappeared from their seats.

Backstage, Aerith sat in front of the mirror, wondering when Miss Stone had found time to design a wedding gown. When the make-up artist, stylist and hair dresser were finished with their work, they excused themselves for water. It was quiet now—no more music, nobody was shouting. Aerith stared at herself and before she could stop the words, she said, "I'm pretty."

The dressing room's door opened and it was not her staff that came in. "Tifa?" the petite brunette asked in surprise. Tifa smiled at her friend and held out a bouquet to Aerith. "What? Huh? Why are you here?" Aerith interrogated. The other woman only smiled and led the bewildered girl out. Aerith looked at the bouquet that had been thrust on her—pale pink peonies, cherry blossoms, pink orchids and red roses. The entire back stage seemed abandoned. "Tifa! What is happening?!"

Tifa finally stopped walking and faced her. She was holding a _microphone_. "You really don't know, Aerith?" she asked.

"No!" the brunette cried. "What is happening? I didn't rehearse this! What is this, some kind of joke?"

Tifa's burgundy eyes bore onto Aerith's for moment. "You really have no idea, A?" Then she smiled. "I heard you earlier. You said 'I'm pretty'—and yes, you definitely are."

"I'm starting to get scared!" Aerith groaned then laughed nervously. "What is this?"

"You know, Aerith, there's only one person behind this, so don't wonder because this is how much he loves you." Tifa smiled kindly—reassuringly—at Aerith.

Suddenly, her staff came, holding in their hands a white cloth. Aerith squinted and realized that it was a veil. Tears started to well up in her eyes. _Oh Goddess, Minerva, Shiva—was this what she had been thinking all along? _They placed the veil on her head and topped it off with a crown of flowers.

"Thank heavens your make-up's waterproof!" Kelly, her make-up artist cried. Aerith reached for her staff and embraced them.

Aerith looked at Tifa with watery eyes.

"Go on," Tifa said gently. "He's waiting for you."

The venue _glowed_. Aerith's breath hitched as she walked into the runway—the runway had been covered with pink petals. Her bottom lip trembled as the audience looked at her with soft adoration. She needed a moment to just stand there and take it all in. Happiness poured over her like warm honey. _Mariah Carey's When I Saw You _began to play softly as Aerith willed herself to move. The veiled stage was suddenly uncovered, revealing Zachary waiting for her there, with a priest and with Cloud.

Zack stood there, with his eyes alight and heart hammering happily as he set his eyes on her. He couldn't believe that it was actually happening—and he knew that she couldn't, either. Every second that ticked past felt heavily monumental.

_I'd never be the same_…

"Hello, gorgeous," Zack whispered to her when she reached the stage.

Aerith was hiccupping when she took his hand in hers.

Zack smiled wolfishly.

* * *

"You may now kiss the bride," the priest announced, smiling at the couple. Music and applause exploded as their lips met. Butterflies were released. Over a hundred cameras flashed and immortalized the moment. The priest announced them as Mister and Missus Fair and the applause grew louder.

Cloud had, somewhere during the ceremony, cried and was trying his best to stop. Tifa laughed at him and kissed his salt-watery cheek. He sucked in a deep breath, then shouted, 'Oh yeah!'

Zack skipped and Aerith walked unsteadily on the runway-turned-aisle while the audience showered them with more rose petals. A carriage pulled by a black stallion and a brown mare was waiting for them when they emerged from the venue.

"Oh Zack!" Aerith managed through her hiccups. He winked.

Fireworks exploded from above. Aerith watched with wide, glassy eyes as they rode off. The city's streets were not as busy as they usually were.

Aerith took a deep breath and peered up at Zack. "Thank you," she said. "I... I never thought you'd go so far to do all these things Zack... and I am just... I'm just... I mean... _wow_ babe! That was incredible! I mean..." Zack placed a finger on her lips and smiled.

"Now you know why I've been on the phone all the time, baby."

She looked at him and giggled. "This is the best memory I'll ever have, Zack." She rolled her eyes. "This and meeting you... they're my best memories!" Setting the bouquet aside, she wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her head on the crook of his neck. He smelled like flowers. She could just stay like this forever. "This is just so... amazing, Mr. Fair," she whispered.

He kissed the shell of her ear tenderly then sang, even if he didn't really sing, "Oh, because you're the best thing; the best thing; the best thing; Ever happened to me," Aerith giggled and tightened her embrace. "Baby, we've come a long way; You know I hope and pray that you will believe me; When I say this love will never fade away..."

"I love you, Zack," Aerith said quietly. "But stop singing!" She laughed.

He grinned mischievously. "Oh, is my wifey getting all shy now?"

Under the occasional street lamp, Zack saw Aerith's pink face. "Aww, your face matches your bouquet... how can you get more adorable?" He reached for a loose tendril of hair and tucked it behind her ear. They stared at each other for a moment before sealing the distance.

When they pulled apart to gasp for air, she asked him where they were going. Aerith yawned as she waited for his answer.

"Well, seeing how exhausted you are, I don't think we'll be able to attend the reception. I think that will alright with you, right?" he told her as he looked down at her softly.

Aerith furrowed her brow a little then shrugged. She had wanted to do all the usual wedding things, but he was right. She was tired, and she needed to rest. She shouldn't risk the baby's safety. She smiled warmly at him and snuggled close to him. "Yeah, it's alright. I've got everything I need here."

The stars twinkled brilliantly at the newlywed couple riding home in a carriage.

* * *

Author's Note: Well. I'm grinning like a moron here. Congrats, Zearith!

If you're wondering what Zack is singing, it's "You're the Best Thing" by Ray Lamontagne. You should give it a listen. :)

VC


	46. Solemn Hour

46: Solemn Hour

* * *

A thin sheet of rain was falling that morning. Tifa had no desire whatsoever to get out of bed. It was hot, underneath the sheets and in his arms.

Aerith and Zack were coming back from their honeymoon today, she thought idly. She raised her eyes to look at the still-sleeping Cloud. She smiled despite herself— and their wedding was just around the corner too.

Just a few more months!

Well, five more months. They had stuff to do before their exchange of 'I do'.

_Pitter, patter_ went the rain, she mused.

"Good morning," Cloud breathed, staring down at her. Tifa kissed the base of his neck in reply.

* * *

He had to leave for a shoot immediately after a quick breakfast consisting of dull toast and dark coffee. Tifa however, had a few more hours to spare before her staff came to whisk her away from normality again.

Clearing the dishes and empty mugs, Tifa reflected on how insane everything had been until now. A small smile crept into her lips.

If she could have told her past self that everything was going to be so radically different in time, the old her would have dismissed her. This… this was so much more than what she bargained for when she wished as a teenager.

Somewhere upstairs, her phone started to ring.

It was Lazard. "Something… Tifa, Oh Gaia…" He sounded distressed. Tifa started to feel nervous.

"Lazard, what is it?" she asked urgently.

He took a deep, shuddering breath on the other end. "It's Cloud, Tifa… oh Gaia!"

"What happened? What about Cloud?" Her body felt as if a bucket of ice had been dumped on her.

"Tifa… Cloud's been in a traffic accident…" Lazard told her slowly. "They're rushing him to the hospital as we speak, love. I'll be there as fast as I can…"

"No. Where is he?" Tifa felt something twist in her chest. "What hospital?"

"St. Jude's… Tifa darling, please just wait for me…" Lazard said softly.

Tifa collapsed on his side of the bed, shell shocked, cold, afraid, terrified, pale, crying and shaking. _Cloud… accident…_ But the idea was so odd. He had just been with her half an hour ago, snuggling then having a wonderful breakfast, so alive, so… so _safe_!

She was curled up on the bed when Lazard and Rufus came to her house. Her hair was a mess, her entire face was pink and puffy. Rufus sat down beside her shaking form and drew her in an embrace. Tifa only cried more, louder. The older blonde tried to soothe their ward.

"He'll be alright, calm down…" he said quietly.

Rufus didn't exactly know if Cloud was going to be fine. The Fenrir had been reduced to nothing but scrap metal, after all. The bright side was that the man was wearing his helmet. He sincerely hoped that the helmet did what it was said to do.

"How… what… what happened?" Tifa blubbered, grabbing a fistful of her manager's pressed shirt.

"The truck that hit him…" Rufus tried to explain. Tifa's breath hitched, "was trying to beat the traffic light in the 101. You know how dangerous the 101 is. Thank Gaia that he had his helmet on, really." Tifa shivered. "He's in the hospital now, honey. They're doing everything they can to save him! Please calm down, Tifa… Lazard, get her some water."

Tifa hiccupped and tried to stop crying and shaking but couldn't. Cloud was in danger, real danger. She couldn't lose him now! Oh dear Minerva, she couldn't lose the love of her life now. Why did _this _have to happen, now that everything was so perfect?

"Drink," came her manager's voice. The cool glass touched her heated lips. The water tasted different to her—why? She didn't know. She didn't want to think. She wanted to believe that this was just a dream. A horrible dream…

St. Jude's Hospital was crowded not only with patients but anxious media.

Tifa, Rufus and Lazard slipped past the restless crowd easily, thanks to the hospital's security staff. She was wearing big dark sunglasses to hide her reddened eyes. Tifa walked with trembling knees all the way to the emergency room's waiting area. She stared at the double doors barring her away from Cloud.

"Cloud…" she said hoarsely. "I'm here… _please_." Her voice broke.

Rufus watched his ward sitting by the bleachers sadly, nervously. He was as afraid as she was though he wouldn't admit it. Someone had to keep a calm face. He knew how much Tifa loved this boy, how much he had an influence on her. He knew that she would never be able to work well with this now. He stalked off to make a phone call.

It seemed like an eternity before the double doors finally opened. Tifa was on her feet at once, sunglasses long abandoned on the bleacher. She moaned and cried when she saw him on the gurney, unconscious and heavily bandaged in the head.

"Cloud!" she wailed.

Lazard was quick to catch her when she collapsed.

* * *

She woke up in Cloud's hospital room. Lazard and Rufus were sitting on the opposite side of the room, both wearing worried looks on their faces. Lazard rose to his feet when she woke up and asked if there was something she needed. She shook her head and asked how her fiancé was.

"He's in a coma for now," Rufus answered flatly, not looking at her. "The doctors are not sure what the damage could be. We can only wait until he wakes up."

_Cloud was in a coma._

Tifa's eyes narrowed and her heart skipped a beat.

She didn't know whether to be relieved that he was alive or not. She knew the implications of a coma. He might never wake up. He might wake up but forget her. He might not fully recover. Minerva!

_If he woke up and forgot about her, what then?_

She couldn't bring herself to think about it. Grasping his cool hand, she cried and silently willed him to wake up. Tifa pushed back the memories of her father being in the same position. The tubes and wires all looked the same to her. Her father never woke up then.

Just thinking of the possibility that she would be losing another man she loved the same way sent her trembling, terrified and half-crazed. Could the fates really be that cruel?

A light hand rested on her shaking shoulder.

"Would you like some tea, Tifa?" Lazard asked softly, offering her a steaming paper cup. "It's going to be alright, honey. He's a strong guy." He looked tired and sad. Tifa muttered her thanks and brought the cup to her trembling lips. The warmth from the tea soothed her, if only for a little.

A long sigh broke the heavy silence later. It was Rufus, who had stood up and began to make his way to the door. "I have to go. I have to attend to some matters." He turned to look at Tifa and Lazard. "I think that it would be best if you went home and rested." She looked at him meaningfully. He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Somebody's got to calm down the media circus. For all we know, somebody may have already reported that he's…" Rufus clamped his lips together and without another word, he was out of the door with a silent click.

She knew what her boss was going to say and frowned.

Cloud couldn't just _die_.

They had a lifetime's worth of plans ahead of them—surely he wouldn't just bail out of them?

"Rufus probably went off to file a case against the driver." Lazard said quietly, not looking up from the magazine he was browsing. "Knowing him, the driver's going to go through hell."

Tifa paused. The truck driver—

She looked at her fiancé's clammy hand and scowled.

"Let the man go," she said. "Call Rufus not to do that. This was all just a horrible accident."

As upset she was, she knew that Cloud wouldn't like putting a poor man through such atrocious trouble. Cloud would probably sympathize with the poor driver's life, if he could. She knew that he'd forgive the man for the mishap. She knew him that much, right?

A small smile crept into the blonde's mouth as he reached for his PHS.

* * *

Getting out of the hospital wasn't easy. But it had to be done, because visiting hours were over.

The security barely managed to steer the media away from Tifa this time.

When she got home, Lazard offered to stay the night. But she declined, knowing that his lover would miss him. Once she was finally alone, Tifa collapsed behind the door, suddenly overwhelmed by the whole house. She could imagine Cloud everywhere in here—on the couch, on the floor, on the stairs, on the banister… Tifa tore up again.

His last words to her had been, '_I'll see you later_.'

So much for that!

Something caught her attention. Glad for any distraction, Tifa headed to the answering machine. She pressed the button to play the message.

"Tifa," the rich baritone voice said. She had to gasp. It was Genesis.

An annoyed scowl etched its way into her face.

"I heard about the accident. This must be so hard for you. Don't delete this just yet, love. I know you hate me with all your guts, really, who are we kidding? I'd hurt you too much. Anyway, I called to let you know that you can always call me if you need somebody to talk to, though I doubt it. Bye."

She deleted the message. _Call me if you need somebody to talk to—_what was he playing at?

"Don't hold your breath, Genesis," she said.

Tifa headed to the bedroom but found it too painful to sleep alone in the bed she and Cloud slept in. She hurriedly gathered her nightclothes and headed to the guest room.


	47. Back to Square One!

47 – Back to Square One!?

* * *

He opened his eyes and saw the dirty white ceiling. There was a single light bulb above his bed, and he could tell that it was grimy. "Cloud! You're awake! Jeez, man, you scared us shitless!" a loud, familiar voice boomed beside him. Cloud turned his head to face his friend, then frowned.

"Why are you wearing that?" Cloud asked, his voice hoarse from disuse. Zack stood up to fill him a glass of water.

Zack frowned back at him. "Wearing what?"

"That." Cloud pointed out Zack's pizza delivery uniform. "Why are you wearing those old threads, Zack? Are they cool now?"

His tall, raven-haired friend furrowed his brows then shook his head. Zack sat down beside Cloud and handed him the glass of water. He was wearing his old oil-stained, bright orange overalls from the pizzeria. "What are you talking about, Cloudy boy? I just got off work. By the way, when you get discharged, you owe me your week's shifts. Man, was our boss mad when he heard you got hit by a truck!" Cloud chugged down the cool water, feeling more anxious by the second. Why was his buddy talking like this? Why was he wearing the old uniform? Setting the glass down on the bedside table, Cloud said, "You don't have to worry, Zack. I remember you, so can you change out of that already? Won't your wife get mad?"

"What wife are you talking about?_ Who?"_ Zack's eyes were wide.

Cloud knitted his brows together, growing frustrated. "Aerith! Come on, Zack, don't play dumb with me."

"_Right_ – um, I'll be right back. I have to tell the doctor that you're awake…" his friend said, easing his way out of the room. Cloud watched Zack slip out of the room, feeling really confused and excited. He glanced around and finally saw that he wasn't in a private room. He was in a ward. Thankfully, the curtains on either side of him were drawn. _Strange_, he thought. Surely this was still part of his friend's prank? But how did Zack ever get Rufus to go along with this? He sat up straighter, anticipating his new wife to come running in, crying how worried she'd been. Zack was probably out there in the hallway right now, telling her that he was alive and well. His night stand was bare, save for the sweating glass and Zack's beat up and extremely outdated PHS. _Sure did a great job, Fair. So detailed…_ he thought, picking up the PHS. If he remembered right, Zack was promoting the latest model of PHS –

The door opened and in came the doctor, holding a clipboard. Zack trailed behind the portly old man, looking confused. _Your acting skills are really good. I never knew you could act, Zack! _"Ah, Mister Strife. How are you feeling?" the doctor said, with a smooth, practiced smile.

"Just fine, thanks," he mumbled.

"Okay. I'll just perform some standard tests, okay?" the doctor said, pulling out a tiny flashlight. From somewhere in the ward, somebody coughed violently. Zack cringed.

"Where's Rufus? Lazard?" Cloud asked frantically when the doctor had left. "Zack, I need to call her. Did you tell her I'm awake?"

"Whoa buddy, slow down!" Zack said. "First of all, let me get some things straight. Cloud, I do not have a wife and you most certainly do not have a _fiancé_. How the heck would all four of us fit in our box of an apartment? And who are these Rufus and Lazard people you're asking me about?"

"Our manager! Tifa's stylist! Zack! Stop kidding me!"

But Zack was looking at him like he was utterly deranged.

"Are you sure that you're okay, Cloud?" he asked tentatively. "The doctor said that you're fine but all you've been talking about are strange things…"

"I'm alright… ah! Jeez, will you just cut it off and go back to normal, Zack?"

Somebody coughed loudly. "Quiet down over there!" shouted an elderly woman's voice. "I want to watch some TV here!"

Zack scratched his head and apologized loudly, "I'm sorry, auntie! My friend just woke up from his er, coma, you see and he's been spouting nonsense ever since. Sorry, sorry!" Then turning back to Cloud, he frowns and sets his mouth in a tight line. "I'll be going now. My lunch break's almost done and I haven't eaten. I'll see you when I get off work, okay?" The gab from the television grew louder as Zack retreated from the ward. Cloud sat there, heart thumping hard, thinking how bizarre everything was.

"_In entertainment news, box-office queen Tifa Lockhart and POET frontman Genesis Rhapsodos have announced their engagement last night. Mind telling us more details, Sonia?"_

He froze.

Tifa was back together with _Genesis! _It couldn't be true. It wasn't real. It was not happening. _He _was Tifa's fiancé, not Genesis. Genesis was a lying asshole! He's a cheat! Cloud leaned out of his bed and pulled the drapes that separated him from the television monitor. And there his beautiful fiancé was, wearing a navy bandage dress and a mega-watt smile, standing beside a smug Genesis, whose unworthy arms were snaked around her tiny waist. They were being interviewed by a woman clad in a purple dress. He remembered. It was the night of his movie premiere.

"_How exactly did Genesis propose to you, Tifa? We're all dying to know!"_

The camera zooms in on Tifa's face. Her eyes were gleaming and her lips were red. He couldn't really tell if she was actually blushing. Tifa bit her lip and looked up lovingly at Genesis. _"It was during our anniversary, last weekend… he took me to Kalm. There… he told me was planning to buy this beautiful house, and we got a tour. When I asked him why he wanted to live so far away from work, he suddenly got down on one knee and asked me!" _Genesis was chuckling now, running his free hand over his fiancé's arm.

That was how he had proposed. Cloud bunched up his blankets and tried not to scream. This was going way too far to be a joke!

"No…" he breathed.

"Aw, aren't they just the loveliest couple?" the elderly woman sighed. "I can't wait till they get married and have kids! They're going to be a lovely couple!" The old woman had stacks of magazines on her night stand and a basket of fruits. She turned to look at him. "Don't you think so?"

Cloud turned away from the woman and tried to pull back sleep. Maybe when he woke up, this horrible joke would be nothing but a nightmare.

* * *

Author's Note:

Okay. Deeply sorry for not updating. I am the lamest author ever. I should do something about my commitment issues, huh?

VC


	48. Chapter 48

48 –

* * *

"Do you mind if I borrow your magazines? I'm pretty bored," Cloud said impishly to the old woman, who was busy reading one herself. She looked up from her rag and nodded. He found himself liking his neighbor. She didn't really talk so much, didn't ask questions about him, and was actually very polite. Her name was Mary, and she was often visited by her daughter around the same time Zack did. The television was always on, which usually frustrated and upset him more. Every show was talking about Tifa and Genesis, scrutinizing every imaginary detail a source reportedly confided about the couple's upcoming nuptials, screening the couple's romance timeline. It was enough to drive Cloud to the wall! He grabbed one magazine, which had Tifa on the cover, wearing a military trench coat – no, it was Genesis's famous duster – and just a pair of leather shorts underneath, her hair was tousled and her red lips were parted slightly, she was looking directly at the camera as if asking for a fight. The tiny headline read: Tifa Lockhart: How She Tamed Genesis Rhapsodos.

_Tamed Genesis Rhapsodos! _Cloud wanted to laugh. She never managed to do that, did she? She was literally living at the palm of the bastard! And… the girl he loved would never have agreed to do a photo shoot _this_ risqué. Perhaps in this world, this woman wasn't the woman he loved and adored. Perhaps in this world, this Tifa was just a puppet of her company and Genesis; a girl without a voice of her own in the concrete forest of show business. It made him feel sad about that. Disappointed, even…

"I love them together," Mary commented as another gossip show began airing the unbearable event. "Genesis is such a good man. I know he may not be your typical nice guy, but he's a really good man."

Cloud looked up from the magazine and asked, "Why would say that he is, Mary? It's not like you know the man… do you?"

Mary lowered the television's volume as another of their roommates growled for her to do so. Then she looked at him again with kind eyes, "Oh… my daughter is the president of one of his fan clubs! Do you know Red Leather, son? She is the president of Red Leather, and she's met him quite a few times. Says he's a very charming man…" Her eyes were _twinkling_. "And he appears to very smitten with his fiancé. Once he even flew all the way back to Midgar in the middle of his tour because he heard she'd been rushed to the hospital!" Cloud furrowed his brows at what the old woman was spewing. "Anyway, are you a fan too? You seem to be asking a lot of questions."

"Oh no… not really." Cloud said quietly.

Suddenly, Zack barged in, followed by Mary's daughter. He was carrying a basketful of fruits which Cloud guessed were for Mary. "Hey sport!" Zack said cheerily as he set the basket down on the old woman's stand. "Doc said that you're free to go this afternoon! Which is a total relief because the pizzeria's like, totally blown up with orders and stuff." Cloud tried his best to appear relieved.

The neighborhood Zack had directed the cab to was unfamiliar territory. The houses weren't neatly kept, nor were the overflowing garbage cans. Dirty children with mud-caked clothes ran around the sides of the street. Cloud followed his friend to yet another apartment complex. It was relatively smaller, filthier than the apartment they had originally rented. There was a dumpster by the stairs, overflowing with waste. They lived on the third floor, next to an apartment that smelled like freshly baked cookies. Hmm, at least they had nice neighbors.

"Home sweet home!" Zack groaned, stretching his arms. His fists almost reached the ceiling. Cloud took off his beaten down sneakers and followed him inside. The couch was _ancient_, their television was at least decent, and there was big poster of a sexy model on one of the doors. Cloud guessed that that was Zack's bedroom. The light was dingy, everywhere. Cloud marched right into the door next to the be-postered one, and ended up in their bathroom. "Um, Zack?" he called out, eyeing the dusky blue tile floor.

"Yeah?"

"Where's my room?" he asked.

Zack roared with laughter. "You've forgotten about our apartment!" He steered him the be-postered door, which led into a wide room that had two single beds. One was made and neat, Cloud guessed that that was his, and the other by the window was messy. Cloud chuckled, "Sorry. It's been a while. I think… I think I'll go rest or something." He settled into his bed and Zack stalked out, muttering. Cloud stared up at the ceiling and sighed deeply. In his chest, his heart was thumping twice as fast. What was happening? He just didn't understand what was happening – did he really just dream everything about having Tifa as his fiancé and being out of this hell of a life? No… it all felt too real, it's been several lifetimes already… those things… everything they shared together couldn't just be dream, right? He wanted to scream. This wasn't real! It just couldn't be! He needed to get back to his real world. But how exactly?

"Zack said I'd gotten hit… by a truck…" Cloud said slowly, pursing his lips. That was what had happened, right? He was in the intersection… then the truck careened over, like its brakes were off… He shut his eyes and tried to remember anything else. "And then what…? Come on Cloud, you have to remember!" He whacked his head repeatedly, as if doing so would actually guarantee that he would remember. Finally accepting the futility of his action, he lay down and slept.

It was dark and cold when he woke up. It must have been dawn.

Cloud lay pin-straight, holding his breath, counting to three. Maybe now he would be back to his real world, where Tifa would be sleeping by the bedside, holding his hand. _One… two… _he exhaled, _three! _He sat up and saw, from the outlines of the room that he was still in hell. Zack's digital clock indicated 4:31. Groaning, Cloud rose from bed and decided to explore their, no his, apartment. Some things were familiar, some were not. In this universe, Zack was totally into comics. There was a cluttered heap of comics by the sofa. Cloud settled himself on it and idly browsed his friend's collection, trying to calm down.

Zack woke up two hours later. He woke up like the real Zack – too energetic one second and then grumpy the next. "How many pieces of toast do you want?" Zack called from the back of the apartment, which was the kitchen. "Oh… um, four." Cloud said. Zack whistled. "That's a pitiful number. Since when did you eat just four pieces of toast, Cloudy boy?" Was Zack implying that dream Cloud was a glutton? Cloud sighed. "Yep. Just four for today. How many are you making anyway?" Zack laughed. "Dude, we consume a whole loaf every morning. What's up with your memo, huh?"

"Are you serious right now?" Cloud moaned as Zack set a high stack of toast in front of him.

"What? I even bothered to fry bacon!" Zack snapped as he created a bacon sandwich for himself. "Just because you've been hired by a movie director for a standing role doesn't mean you've gotta diet ya know! The audience won't even see your pretty face."

Cloud spluttered out his coffee. "I've been _what?" _

"You auditioned for a minor, itty bitty role in some un-named movie last month, Mister Acting-is-my-life," Zack deadpanned, stirring his coffee. "Don't tell you've forgotten all about that too! Jeez! Just please assure me that you still remember how to ride your motorcycle."

"Wasn't I hit by a truck? I wouldn't exactly have a motorcycle to ride now, would I?" Cloud asked, suddenly feeling like he'd been punched in the gut. His beloved Fenrir! "Uh hello, chocobo brains?" Zack sighed. "You _never_ use your motorcycle on duty so your beautiful ride's still intact. Anyway, we should probably hurry. We'll be late for work. Uncle's really going to eat your ear about traffic vigilance, I guarantee it."

And he was totally right. "See what happens when you don't follow the traffic rules, kid!?" their boss said with an exasperated voice. "Well anyway, I'm glad you're back. We've been really short on staff. And Zack wasn't much help either. Glad to see you're okay." Cloud furrowed his brows. Back in his real world, the boss actually liked Zack, and often turned a blind eye towards his friend's idle moments, but it seemed that dream-boss wasn't too fond of Zack. They only had five deliveries the whole day. It wasn't bad, of course, any number's better than zero. But in his real world, the pizzeria did way better than this. "Alright, we're good to go," Zack said as he finished checking the locks. The boss had allowed them to take home a box of pizza that had been cancelled on the last minute. "Hey, let's eat this over there. Don't wanna wait for it to heat in the microwave," the raven said as he trudged over to the darkened park across the street. He sat down on one of the park benches, underneath a dim light post and immediately dug in. Cloud sat down next to him and took a slice.

"Tomorrow's going to be the day you work in the movie, right?" Zack suddenly said while chewing.

… Tomorrow? Cloud scowled. "I don't know… hey, where is the shooting anyway?"

Zack playfully punched his friend's shoulder. "You oughtta know! You were the one who auditioned, right?"

Cloud chewed thoughtfully. "Actually I can't remember."

"Weird. So weird. It's like you've forgotten everything you've done lately. Isn't amnesia like the other way around?" Zack said carefully. "Anyway, you're going to see the love of your life on set. The movie's got Tifa Lockhart as its leading actress after all. If you really don't remember what you've been doing the past few months, I'll help you."

_Ba-thump_.

His tall friend suddenly stood up. "Anyway, let's go."

As they walked back to their motorcycles, Cloud couldn't stop thinking about what Zack had said. Here, he was _obsessed_ with show business, and was an aspiring actor. Here, he would still meet his girl. Maybe this was a second chance thing. But why would he need to have a second chance? What had he done wrong in his real life to deserve such a messy present? Wake up Cloud, wake up, wake up, wake up, _wake up!_

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**I wonder what'll happen when they meet. Hm. Stay tuned. **


End file.
